Former guitarist of Fela Kuti and Egypt 80

Kiala & The Afroblaster is a 10-man Afrobeat band of Kiala Nzavotunga, former guitarist of Fela Kuti, and Afrogrooves, an Amsterdam-based collective of musicians with a passion for Afrobeat music. The band has the unmistakable basis of Fela Kuti’s bands in terms of groove and instrumentation, but incorporates Kiala’s unique bluesy sound as well as strong hip hop and funk influences in both the music and the social and politically relevant lyrics. In the words of Kiala, “The music is the message and the message is the music.”

Kiala Nzavotunga is a singer/guitarist/songwriter born in Angola. After moving to Lagos as a young man, Kiala solidified his mark as a musician on the continent and in Nigeria as guitarist of Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 band. After years of recording and internationally touring with Fela, Kiala settled in Paris, France where he continued writing and playing with a variety of bands, the most well-known being Ghetto Blaster, who toured the US opening for James Brown.

Reflecting on his experience inspired Kiala to compile and release the album Money in 2018, a modern take on the vintage Afrobeat sound full of tight percussion and horn lines, bluesy guitar riffs, and powerful lyrics. Traveling to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, later in 2018 led to a chance meeting with fellow Afrobeat enthusiasts Afrogrooves at one of their jam sessions. Mutual admiration for Afrobeat music and the tenets on which it was founded sparked camaraderie and instant musical chemistry, leading to key members of the Afrogrooves collective becoming Kiala’s band.

Since then, Kiala and the Afroblaster have entertained audiences at Amsterdam Dance Event (Amsterdam), Echoes of a Pilgrim (The Hague), Musica Mundo
(Amersfoort), and Copacabana (Gent, Belgium). In 2023 they wrote and recorded new music, the EP Spiritual Power, which will be released in 2024. Their November 2023 try-out concert in the Cinetol in Amsterdam was sold out (150 visitors).