Afro Funké Series Comes to a Close After 10-Year Run

Written by

Let’s be honest, here in LA the hype machine moves fast and doesn’t look back.

The moment something becomes hip it’s already on it’s way to becoming passé. One day it’s the next big thing, the next day it’s old news.

The more I witness this to be true, the more I am grateful and humbled by the marathon run our weekly event, Afro Funké has had.

Every Thursday for 10 YEARS, A loyal and enthusiastic crowd has come to the Zanzibar in Santa Monica, to play their part in what we’ve come to call a “Weekly Soul Invocation”.

by Cary Sullivan
Afro Funke dancer by Cary Sullivan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Afro Funké was started by ROCKY DAWUNI, CARY SULLIVAN and yours truly JEREMY SOLE – with the intention of going one step beyond the theme of a world music night. We all know that each culture and genre has it’s own melodies and rhythms.

It’s our belief that, at some point, when arranged in the right context at the right time of the night, they all blend together – and that’s how a melting pot culture like Los Angeles will embrace one another.

Afro Funké has had countless memories through the years, from Stevie Wonder performing live with Rocky Dawuni and Zap Mama showing up on the same night and improvising with Garth Trinidad and I, to Nneka’s U.S. debut performance. Prince, Meshell Ndegeocello, Seun Kuti and so many others have frequented our dancefloor.

Still though, it’s the weekly loyalists that are the glue, they are the welcome mat that makes all first-timers feel at home in a scenario that might have otherwise felt foreign to them.

Myself and our other resident dj GLENN RED mix every week, with guest deejays, bands, or live musicians playing atop our deejays sets. This formula has worked for 10 years and always remained fresh, but we felt it the right move to bookend this era by wrapping up 2013 and ending the series with a bang.

TONIGHT, Thursday December 12, Afro Funké presents THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL live!

Next Thursday December 19th 2013 is the official AFRO FUNKÉ GRAND FINALE, in which we’ve asked a handful of our favorite past guest deejays to each bring two records to play – including CUT CHEMIST, DJ DAY, JEDI and many other surprise guests. Come celebrate 10 years with us!

– Jeremy, Cary, Rocky and Glenn.

Jeremy Sole and Rocky Dawuni by Cary Sullivan
Jeremy Sole and Rocky Dawuni by Cary Sullivan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Cary Sullivan
by Cary Sullivan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Cary Sullivan
by Cary Sullivan (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)