Bantu Downloads

Adé Bantu's musical collective Bantu is the NiGerman Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity. A pioneer of the German HipHop movement from the start, Adé is among the central figures who have shaped the genre as it is in the country today. Born to a German Mother and a... Learn More »

Adé Bantu's musical collective Bantu is the NiGerman Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity. A pioneer of the German HipHop movement from the start, Adé is among the central figures who have shaped the genre as it is in the country today.

Born to a German Mother and a Nigerian Father in England, then relocated in Cologne/Germany in recent years, his spicy AfroPean stew is a natural blend of the most converse elements of both continents' traditions. Drawing from his forefathers' roots and his experience of the African diaspora alike, he uses the variety of urban styles and sounds from R'n'B through HipHop to Ragga to contribute another shade to the soundtrack of a global Africa: profoundly rooted in Yoruba history yet dripping with Western production standards, deeply sensual yet utterly spiritual, thoroughly individual yet highly political.

The political aspect was exercised exceptionally effectively with AfroGerman musical pressure group Brothers Keepers. The all-star ensemble, masterminded by Adé Bantu, combines artistic versatility with a clear political statement. It takes the most outspoken stand against racist violence in the country yet. One step further with the violence, they said in their most successful song to date, "Adriano (Letzte Warnung)" ("Adriano (Last Warning)"), and we fight back with a vengeance! And then they took it right into the mainstream, to the very top of the German charts.

Adewale Ayuba is the master of Nigeria's next generation of Fuji music. As “Fuji Ambassador” he has started to spread the vibe of West African dancehalls from his Lagos club, Skindles, straight to the Americas, Europe and beyond. Known for his captivating vocal arrangements and fluent drum patterns, he is particularly famous for his energetic live shows that can last up to 7 hours.

All the different shades and colours he almost excessively indulges in during the course of those performances have been jam-packed into his first international collaboration. We have the characteristic Fuji topics, rather explicitly dwelling on secular affairs, love's mysterious ways, lust and lubricity. There is the mingling of African and Western instrumentation, inspirationally transforming the seemingly mundane into states far more spiritual and deep.

Finally, the constant reworking and revitalisation of all the ingredients – from the ancient rituals of Ayuba's African heritage to the varying styles and fashions of the West – is an absolute must. For in Fuji philosophy, what has become static has become meaningless.
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