Fenibo Plays Nigerian Afro Pop Hits at the Arts Block
On Saturday night the Arts Block was jumping with the sweet rhythms of Nigeria when the big 12-piece band called Fenibo played their Nigerian Afro beat music for an enthusiastic crowd of dancers.
Fenibo himself is the band’s only Nigerian, he’s shown at the left of the photo. Some of the band’s songs are by Fela, who is one of the country’s biggest stars.
This kind of music is about as hard to resist dancing to as anything, it’s so captivating that you just want to jump up. I sat with my foot propped up wishing I could move to the music.
Next to us a guy without a broken foot sat motionless, and every few minutes his dancing girlfriend would come up and try to pester him on to the dance floor. No go.
Later on when I hobbled on crutches over to the bar to get another beer, I chided him for not taking her up on her pleas to dance. Some times when you’re on crutches I guess you get a little braver. How many bands, I thought, when they set out to make music play songs with this intensity and irresistible beat, that are written in Africa. This sure beats covers of Van Morrison!
The band had fun and we learned that nearly all of them play in other bands, said one of the singers, Linda Simoneaux, of New Hampshire. Her other gig is a cajun band that she plays in with her husband. Watch the band’s videos at their website.