Aiyekooto warmed up the beach
Sunday’s second act on the Rentolava stage was Aiyekooto and His Afrobeat International. They literally took over the stage, every last square inch of it, because the line-up consisted of Aiyekooto and 17 other people.
Born in Nigeria, Aiyekooto moved to Helsinki a few years back. They created a crowd-pleasing highlife funk rhythm, even though the maestro himself climbed on the stage only after the first instrumental song. In addition to singing lead vocals, Aiyekooto worked as a bandleader. And leading they did need, as the diverse band included a six-man horn section, a drummer, three percussionists, two guitarists, a bass player, a keyboardist and three singers.
Their playing didn’t focus on melodies but a dancable, mellow beat. Their one-hour show included only eight songs. Two trombones, one trumpet and three saxomaphones created a truely fat sound. Their African rhythms warmed up the otherwise cold festival area considerably.
Words: Tuomas Vitikainen
Translation: Olli Sulopuisto
Photo: Eetu Mononen