Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, commonly known as simply Antibalas, is an afrobeat band from Brooklyn that was founded in 1998 by Martin Perna. Originally called Conjunto Antibalas, the band was modeled after Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra as well as Fela Kuti's afrobeat band, Africa '70. The group slowly grew into an eleven-piece ensemble and played exclusively at independent venues and community-run events around Brooklyn like block parties before landing a coveted Friday night residency at NoMoore nightclub in 1999. Antibalas released its debut album in 2000 titled Liberation Afrobeat Vol. 1, demonstrating its signature afrobeat sound infused with funk, jazz, dub and plenty of improvisation. In addition to the band's studio albums and extensive touring schedule, it was featured in the 2008 off-Broadway production of Fela!, a musical dedicated to the life and music of Fela Kuti that eventually made its way to a Broadway stage in 2009. The band released its fifth studio album, a self-titled effort, in 2012.
