Rotimi Hundeyin rotimi.lagos@yahoo.com
For the past eight years, Rotimi Hundeyin has been touring the globe as musical director with one of his mentors, Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti. His original and eclectic music style is known as Afrophonik Rhythms engages an audience with talent and charm. His band, called Rotimi & De Afrophonik Crew hold a powerful stage presence and includes a full horn section, drums, percussion, female vocalists, keyboards and several guitars this band has a unique and powerful stage presence. Such collaboration with a full spectrum of diverse ethnicities and races of Americans has never been seen before in African music, a testament to Rotimi’s forward-thinking methods.
For Rotimi growing up in 1980’s, Nigerian music became a passion. At a young age he excelled at performance, quickly picking up drums, trumpet, saxophone and piano. As a teenager it became clear that music was to be a way of life for Rotimi, and by his mid-twenties he earned the title of Music Director for The Lagos State (similar to New York) Council for Arts and Culture. It was at this time that he began touring with Femi Kuti (son of legendary Fela Kuti) and The Positive Force. Sharing the stage with some of the world’s top musicians including: Hugh Masekela, Roy Hargrove, Erykah Badu, Damian Marley, Lucky Dube, The Gorillaz, Green Fields, Kilimanjaro, Orlando Julius, and The Lagos Folk Quintet. His work has been produced by such luminaries as Danger Mouse.
A man of paradox, Rotimi questions violence with beauty. His focus is sharp, providing a musical resolution to the political injustice he knew growing up. With songs like Osusu he questions the relationships mankind has with one another and suggests a higher way of life. Heavily influenced by African folk music and jazz legends like Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, Hugh Masekela, Dizzy Gillespie, Fela Kuti, and Miles Davis, Rotimi’s music breaks the world music mold. He balances genius with simplicity, an amalgamation of soul, afro-beat, rock, hip-hop, and jazz. He is currently working on his first solo album with his Afrophonik Rhythms Crew. Please take a moment to view his “demo” and interview at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6R2cOvRhKg