amayo
Career Highlights
Grammy nominated artist & composer for
“Best Global Music Album of the Year” 2020.
A career spanning 23+ years and countless tours
around the world as the former front-man of the Afro-Beat band Antibalas.
Amayo now embarks the next chapter, his solo career!
“A Raucous, Joyous Celebration of Afrobeat” - Rolling Stone
“One of the Top 12 Musicians with World Changing Positions” - The Economist
Bio
Amayo means: “If you don’t go, you never know!”
Former Front-man of Antibalas for 23 years, Amayo was credited for bringing Afrobeat to a global audience, leading it to become a genre of itself. He composed the GRAMMY nominated “Fu Chronicles” album for “Best Global Music Album of the Year” 2020. It was the launchpad for Amayo’s solo career - where Kung Fu meets Afrobeat.
His unique blend of styles creates a magical landscape for Chinese & African rhythms. Amayo sings traditional Yoruba & Edo lyrics and plays piano, electric keyboard, organ, and the Gbedu Spirit Drum. His band features chekere, guitar, bass, flute, violin, drums, percussion and horns.
Amayo’s songs guide people through Kung Fu movements and stories of the Nigerian Edo & Ife Kingdoms.
As an anointed Orisha “Awo” Amayo sings traditional Nigerian spirituals and stories that have been passed down in a sacred lineage. Amayo has been a senior master (Sifu) of the Jow Ga Kung Fu School of martial arts since 1982 and performs traditional Chinese Lion Dance as a salutation ritual to begin his stage performances to bring good fortune to the audience.
