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Duke Amayo
Amayo at Felabration 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria.

(Abraham) "Duke" Amayo is a Nigerian musician, composer, singer, and former frontman of the Afrobeat band Antibalas for 23 years.[1]

Biography[edit]

In 1995, he moved to NYC where he designed clothes and taught Kung Fu in his storefront, the Afrospot Temple,[2] a dojo and venue in pre-gentrified Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He put on fashion shows with models from the Fashion Cafe walking to live Nigerian percussionists. He had his own clothing line, AMAYO.[3]

In 1998, two guys came into his Afrospot and asked him to be part of a new band, Antibalas.[4] His Afrospot became their rehearsal space and where Daptone Records was founded. They put on many parties and events there.

After joining Antibalas, Amayo spent a year teaching himself to play the piano and wrote his first tune, “M.T.T.T. (Mother Talker, Tick Tock)” in 2000, (nominated for a GRAMMY[5] in 2020).

Songs on the "Fu Chronicles" album all written by Amayo include, "Fist of Flowers[6]" based on the Kung Fu movement, "Flower Fist." Other songs he wrote like, "Gold Rush" and "Tombstown" were about the ancestors.[7]

He performed at the Apollo with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Charles Bradley as part of the Daptone Soul Revue, which was also made into a documentary.[8] He was the face and lead singer for the band for 23 years, who many affectionately called the spirit of Antibalas, as the only authentic Nigerian in the band.[9]

Songs in the repertory include ‘Amenawon’[10], "Lion Awakes", "Happy Lion", "Fist of Flowers' and "MTTT" first put out in his "Kung Fu Lessons of Life" album in 2002.[11]

‘Fu Chronicles’ sets the tone for the type of music he's been performing on tour. He has a new album under his own name, AMAYO, being recorded at Diamond West studios in LA.[12][13]

He left Antibalas to launch is solo career as AMAYO.[14] Since then he brought his new band to Nigeria to perform for the first time at Felabration, 2022.[15] He debuted his new band[16] at BAM, Brooklyn,[17] along with a run of shows on the East and West Coast in 2023.

Early Life[edit]

British-born[18] of Nigerian parents[19], Amayo's spirit was first ignited at Fela's club, The Shrine, in Lagos, Nigeria. While growing up in Lagos, his primary passions were dancing and practicing Kung Fu to the rhythms of funk and Afrobeat. It was then that the seed of Afrobeat was first implanted within him.[20]

When he was 9, the Biafra war forced him to move from Nigeria to Ghana to live with his Grandmother to escape the violence.[21] After the war, his mom sent him to boarding school in Benin City, Nigeria so he could be close to his father.[22] The school was where he was exposed to martial arts. There, he saw his first Kung Fu Film & joined the martial arts program. He was 13 and his program created a social club for the entire student body. They put on plays & other schools would travel to come and see them perform. He played the lead. Years later, he would become the lead singer of Antibalas touring the world for 23 years. His love for martial arts led him to become a certified Jow Ga Kung Fu Sifu in the early ‘80s. [23] 

Amayo moved to America to attend college at 17 years old. He graduated from Howard University[24] with a bachelor's degree of Fine Arts and was on Dean’s Honor Roll for 3 years in a roll. He won the All-Meac Football Award 2 years in a row. He received a full athletic scholarship from Howard for 3 years on the football team as a kicker. He won the scholarship after making a 64-yard field goal 3 seconds to the end of the scrimmage, and was hero for the day. He tried out for the Redskins while in college. His graduating theses was, “Art Knows No Boundaries.” His focus was medical illustration. He loves the hyper detail techniques and patience one must employ to illustrate a subject matter. He illustrated the cover art for the Antibalas album, “Fu Chronicles,” featuring every musician who performed on the album along with a large dedication to his late mother, Esther Amenawon Amayo (who the song “Amenawon[25]” is dedicated to.)

Partial Discography[edit]

  • Antibalas, “Fu Chronicles”, February 7, 2020
  • Henry Cole & Villa Locura, “Buscando La Vida”, November 19, 2021
  • Amayo, “Osun Osogbo”, August 16, 2021
  • Armo, “Armo”, February 13, 2019
  • Antibalas, “Where the Gods Are in Peace”, September 15, 2017
  • Antibalas, “AWOL 45”, October 18, 2012
  • Antibalas, “Antibalas (Self-Titled), August 7, 2012
  • Professor Wouassa, “Dangerous Koko!”, February 4, 2011
  • Melvin Gibbs, “Ancients Speak”, March 17, 2009
  • Antibalas, “Security”, March 7, 2006
  • Antibalas, “K-Leg and R.O.C.”, January 1, 2006
  • Antibalas, “Government Magic”, January 1, 2005
  • Antibalas, “Who is this America”, October 19, 2004
  • Red Hot +Riot, “Red Hot + Riot”, October 15, 2002
  • Antibalas, “Talkatif”, March 1, 2002
  • Amayo’s Fu-Arkist-Ra “Afrobeat Disciples (Reissue)”, 2002
  • Amayo’s Fu-Arkist-Ra, “Afrobeat Disciples”, January, 2002
  • Antibalas, “Liberation Afrobeats”, April 9, 2001
  • Antibalas, “Liberation Afrobeat Volume 1”, 2001
  • Antibalas Tour EP, 2001
  • Antibalas, “Uprising” April 9, 2000

Television Appearances[edit]

Music Videos Featured[edit]

  • Antibalas - "Fight Am Finish" (Official Music Video)]
  • "Gold Rush" (Official Music Video)]
  • Antibalas "Dirty Money" (Official Music Video)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Simon, Scott (February 8, 2020). "Antibalas' 'Fu Chronicles' Is A Martial Arts-Inspired Testament To Afrobeat". NPR. p. 1. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "Dojo Risin': Amayo, Antibalas, Music and the Martial Arts". Relix Media. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  3. ^ "Duke Amayo… Afrobeat Lion Roars In Lagos". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  4. ^ Rohter, Larry (2012-08-06). "Waiting in Brooklyn for the World to Catch Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  5. ^ "Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Antibalas Talk 'Fu Chronicles,' Kung Fu And Their Mission To Spread Afrobeat". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  6. ^ Gutterman, Scott (2019-12-11). "Amayo: Fist of Flowers". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  7. ^ Renoncourt, Francois (2019-05-24). "Antibalas, 20 years of afrobeat and kung-fu spirit (2/2)". PAM - Pan African Music. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  8. ^ Hughes, Hilary (2021-09-27). "Revisiting Daptone Records' Halcyon Moment at the Apollo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  9. ^ "Antibalas Announces Vocalist Duke Amayo's Departure". JamBase.
  10. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (May 1, 2020). "Album Review: 'Fu Chronicles' Antibalas written by Duke Amayo" (PDF). Jazziz (51): 1.
  11. ^ Downes, Michael (2009-07-22). "Introducing Antibalas Offspring Fu-Arkist-Ra". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  12. ^ "Amayo Announces Spring Tour, City Winery and Colony Woodstock Shows". NYS Music. 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  13. ^ Johnson, Reed (2012-08-15). "Review: A superb turn by Antibalas at the Echoplex". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  14. ^ "Amayo Leaving Antibalas". NYS Music. 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  15. ^ Esomnofu, Emmanuel (2022-11-08). "NATIVE Exclusive: Duke Amayo Is Coming Home". The Native. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  16. ^ "In Focus: Amayo Debuts New Band at BAMcafé in Brooklyn". NYS Music. 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  17. ^ Sissler, James (2022-11-21). "PHOTOS: Former Antibalas Singer Duke Amayo Brings New Solo Project To Brooklyn". L4LM. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  18. ^ "Antibalas Returns". The New York Times. 2012-08-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  19. ^ Hurley, Miles. "Looking Back: That Time Antibalas' Amayo Became a U.S. Citizen and then Performed at FloydFest Eighteen – The Poke Around". Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  20. ^ "Amayo | ANTIBALAS.COM". web.archive.org. 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  21. ^ "AMAYO: If you don't go, you will never know [Pulse Interview]". Pulse Nigeria. 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  22. ^ "News -- Duke Amayo… Afrobeat Lion roars in Lagos". nigeriaworld.com. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  23. ^ EP. 36 - Duke Amayo "Antibalas" - Season 3, retrieved 2023-05-19
  24. ^ "Antibalas set to release New Album "Fu Chronicles"". Grateful Web. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  25. ^ "Antibalas: Fu Chronicles". Relix Media. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2023-05-19.

External Links[edit]

Amayo Official Website

Category:Musician Category:Afrobeat musicians Category:Singer Category:Composers Category:Afro-beat musical groups Category:Antibalas members Category:Daptone Records artists Category:Afrobeat Category:Living People Category:Howard University alumni Category:Nigerian male artists

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