The Shaolin Afronauts (band)
Encyclopedia
The Shaolin Afronauts are an Adelaide
-based afrobeat
band that is styled after Fela Kuti
's Africa 70 band and Sun Ra
. Their music incorporates elements of Avant-garde jazz
, Soul
and traditional African and Cuban percussive rhythms.
Founded in 2009 out of a fascination with african jazz and soul, the band began their life as a support for The Transatlantics
before branching out to play their own shows. Over the course of the next few months, the group solidified with a core of twelve band members and expanded their repertoire of original songs. Over the next few years, the band's presence grew; in 2011, they were booked to play the Womadelaide
festival in South Australia and had already seen extensive touring throughout the country.
Later in the same year, they were signed to Freestyle records and saw the release of their debut album, 'flight of the ancients.' The album was featured on Radio National Breakfast
and garnered considerable attention on community radio
, streetpress and Triple J
.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
-based afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
band that is styled after Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
's Africa 70 band and Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
. Their music incorporates elements of Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which ...
, Soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
and traditional African and Cuban percussive rhythms.
Founded in 2009 out of a fascination with african jazz and soul, the band began their life as a support for The Transatlantics
The Transatlantics
- Biography :The band were formed in 2007 by Adelaide born musicians Ross McHenry, Lachlan Ridge, Kevin Van Der Zwaag and singer Tara Lynch who still form the core of the band as of 2011...
before branching out to play their own shows. Over the course of the next few months, the group solidified with a core of twelve band members and expanded their repertoire of original songs. Over the next few years, the band's presence grew; in 2011, they were booked to play the Womadelaide
WOMADelaide
WOMADelaide is an annual world music and dance festival, which was first held in 1992 in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia as part of the WOMAD series of music festivals. WOMAD events are a showcase of different sorts of music, arts and dance. They encourage people to experience the music of...
festival in South Australia and had already seen extensive touring throughout the country.
Later in the same year, they were signed to Freestyle records and saw the release of their debut album, 'flight of the ancients.' The album was featured on Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast is a national early morning news programme in Australia. The programme is broadcast live in the eastern states on the ABC Radio National network. It can also be listened to online...
and garnered considerable attention on community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
, streetpress and Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
.
Band
- Ross McHenry – Bass (2009 - Present)
- Kevin Van Der Zwaag – Drums (2009 - Present)
- Tim Bennett – Percussion (2009 - 2009)
- Chris Soole – Saxophone (2009 - 2009)
- Adam Page – Saxophone (2010 - Present)
- Lachlan Ridge – Guitar (2009 - Present)
- Dylan Marshall – Guitar (2009 - Present)
- John Hunt – Baritone Sax (2009 - Present)
- Chris Weber – Trumpet (2009 - Present)