Aphrodesia:

Hailing from San Francisco, California, this 11-piece ensemble has been through a lot since their beginnings in 2003. From a pilgrimage to the legendary Shrine club in Lagos, Nigeria, a cross-country voter registration tour in a vegetable-powered bus, and representation from National Public Radio and USA Today, Aprodesia has been on quite a ride throughout their career. Their sound has been described as eclectic and unique. It blends rich female vocals and hard-hitting horn polyrhythmic funk together into what Global Rhythm Magazine has called, “Pan-African mash up.” They find their influences in West-African musical styles such as afro beat and Highlife. Their sound encompasses funk, dub, Zimbabwean trance, hip-hop, and global pop. Their most recent album-“Lagos by Bus” was released in November of 2007 by Cyberset Music. It is chucked full of songs about their trip through Africa, and proves that their sound is continually becoming more diverse. Their songs provide a sense of social justice, while their commitment to societal change has extended far from the stage into the real-world. Having headlined numerous benefits for causes ranging from AIDS prevention to Tsunami Relief to anti-Iraq War organizations, Aphrodesia is devoted to 'walking the walk as well as talking the talk'.

For more information visit: www.aphrodesia.org.