Chopteeth

Join us October 10, from 6-8 pm on Riverworks Outdoor Stage for Chopteeth - and electric 11-member, horn-heavy, percussive musical crew playing classic highlife, rumba, afrobeat, and afrofunk!

"A storming powerhouse of big-band African funk, Chopteeth is smart, tight and relentlessly driving: a definite don't-miss."

     —The Washington Post

Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band is an 11-member musical crew that's been churning up dancefloors in the DC area for over 20 years, playing classic highlife, rumba, afrobeat and other sounds from Africa's 70s heyday, mixed with original compositions steeped in the music and message of that inspiring era.   

With two guitars, bass, keys, drums, percussion and the mighty Chopteeth Horns, the energy at a Chopteeth show is electric and the dancefloor buzzing. Along with their signature originals, Chopteeth interprets compositions by the likes of Fela Kuti, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Orchestra Baobab, Manu Dibango, Ernesto Djedje, O.J. Ekemode, The Sweet Talks, Alhadji K. Frimpong, Samba Mapangala, Simandou de Beyla, Marijata, Eric Agyeman and many others. 

The band's award-winning 2008 debut album, "Chopteeth," featured dynamic, original compositions like "Weigh Your Blessings" (featuring Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars), "Upendo" (featuring Anna Mwalagho) and "No Condition is Permanent" (featuring Head-Roc).  In 2010, the band released "Chopteeth Live!" with choice selections from Ghana, Senegal, Congo, Guinea, and Nigeria culled from live show recordings. In 2017 Chopteeth returned with a powerful collection of new original songs on their celebrated release "Bone Reader."

The Washington Area Music Association has selected Chopteeth for a total of fourteen Wammie Awards, including Artist of the Year, Debut CD of the Year, World Music CD (twice) and World Music Group (nine years in a row). Lead singer Michael Shereikis is a three-time winner of Best World Music Vocalist and has been nominated in the overall categories of Producer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Musician of the Year.

Chopteeth has performed with a wide range of critically-acclaimed world music, soul and jazz-funk groups, including Parliament Funkadelic, Trombone Shorty, Galactic, Aaron Neville, Cyril Neville, Derek Trucks Band, Ozomatli, Grupo Fantasma, Konono No. 1, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Gov't Mule, Soulive, Greyboy Allstars, The Iguanas, War, Chuck Brown and many more. Chopteeth has played at the wrap party for HBO's "The Wire," the Congo Square World Music Festival in New Orleans, and at numerous regional colleges and festivals. The band can be seen regularly at top venues in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Virginia, as well as playing at major East Coast festivals including Artscape, The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, The Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Adams Morgan Day Festival and others.  

*This is a family-friendly event, with discounted tickets for children ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under!