Fathe and the Sweetos invite sunshine and tension release to an ebullient Friday night crowd with funky and skanky Afro Pop.
Friends is the welcoming invocation, to free up the head and the backbone. That segues seamlessly into the sinuous and exotic funk of What a Moment.
Fathe Tesfamariam was born in Sudan and grew up in Ethiopia. One influence of his music, apart from the Highlife style of West African Pop with light jazz elements, is the birthplace of Rastafarianism. There are strong elements of Reggae protest Folk, and the dance-friendly swing of Rocksteady and Ska.
All this needs a talented ensemble which are the Sweetos.
John Murray drums, Eli Dobbyn percussion and Seb Soto bass are the poly-rhythmic engine room and are dominant throughout the set.
Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway and Jamal Hassan-Hussein the guitars, Niki Te Whaiti saxophones, with Zaverr and Ellen Moana on backing vocals.
The band has warmed up the big room quickly. They lay down some Reggae dancehall Riddim with Sister. As in Don’t worry Sistah/ Do you see this music like I do.
Sweeto is his debut single, and the triad of rhythmic influences is completed with South American Latino beats.
If we are talking about the significant Brazilian influence, then the Baion Beat made famous by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and the classic Drifters songs, also finds a place in their music. Coming Up from Trouble has that swinging galloping rhythm, with a little toasting from the leader and soft Soul from the backing singers.
Hope immerses us fully in the soft Seventies Soul sound and is not ashamed to plant its feet in hippie good vibes with the lyrics.
What I See starts with a chunky and heavy Bo Diddley riff, and Kenji gets to do some guitar shredding.
Kenji the Guitarist
Kenji the Guitarist is of course a member of Yoko-Zuna, who play Jazz Funk and all manner of cerebral dance music. They dis-banded a few years ago, but the members turn up continually backing major and cult artists.
Three of them regularly perform great tribute shows to legendary R’n’B and Hip-Hop Rap bands, at the Ponsonby Social Club. Not as a covers band, as they improvise and stretch the boundaries of songs.
Not often you see the full quartet. JY Lee on saxophone and flute, Frank Eliesa keyboards and Swap Gomez drums. Jamal Hassan-Hussein takes a guest spot as second guitarist.
Kenji appears to be leading the charge tonight, as they kick off their short set with All of Me. Fast Fusion Rock guitar pyrotechnics with the saxophone coming in with some tasty R’n’B licks.
Then it’s the Jazz Funk of Tobe, meaning flying in Japanese. The guitar is high and piercing in melodic flight, as the heavy rhythm bottom keeps it firmly anchored.
Okaasan is the most lyrical with both guitars complementing melodically. I think the heavy bass riffs come from the keyboards. Kenji dedicates this one to his Japanese mother.
Next Step brings a lot of elements together and it sounds like Rock music given maximum buoyancy with swing. They are jazz musicians after all. Maybe L.A. Woman from the Doors is a reference point. The drummer dictates a big rhythmic attack. The guitars insinuate and when everything locks in, the tension rises.
Fathe and the Sweetos
Fathe arrived in New Zealand around sixteen years ago, and not conversant in English. He was a bigger dancer than he was a singer back then. He found a certain freedom here which enabled him to develop. Most of New Zealand’s successful artists have to do it the other, with very few notable exceptions.
Eskista, and he gets to do some trance dancing to a fast rhythmic Afro-Pop number. Some similarities to West African and Nigerian Ju-Ju music.
You could also dig out an old chestnut, Malcolm McLaren and the great Duck Rock album he compiled and sang a little on (in a manner of speaking). That was after being a key influencer of Punk. That Afro-Pop came primarily from Soweto. The effect when other elements were grafted in has a lot of similarity to the music of the Sweetos.
Buffalo Gals go ‘round the outside/ ‘Round the outside.
Fathe is a fine singer, and on African Woman we get to hear some echoes of Toots Hibberts and possibly Marvin Gaye. There is some light rap or toasting, but it is mostly Soul.
Bradaio closes the show on the tough and melodic. Combines Afro-Pop with Ska and Rocksteady.
Fathe and the Sweetos swing hard. The song includes a simple mantra, and it goes straight into loosening the backbones and the hips.
Rev Orange Peel
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