Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010

Courtesy of Smash

Afrobeat—the African pop style informed by jazz and R&B—has recently cropped up on the Western music scene. Now it arrives in Japan in the form of Funkist, an Afrobeat-influenced collective that brings its “Typhoon Condition One” tour to Shinjuku next week. Fronted by Saigo Someya—the son of a Japanese flamenco guitarist and South African ballet dancer—the group have been extremely busy of late. After their recent major label debut, they toured South Africa and have been all over the media in the run-up to the World Cup. The DVD of their tour shows a seven-member powerhouse creating borderless pop and—surprisingly for a J-pop band—espousing leftist political views.

Funkist
Afrobeat-influenced Japanese rock band with A(C) and others. May 10, 6:30pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/¥3,000 (door). Marz, Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3202-8248.