MAS Presents: Kaleta & Super Yamba Band

MAS Presents: Global Sounds

Join MAS Presents for their Global Sounds series at The Savoy Denver — a celebration of music from around the world.

On May 15, Afrobeat legend Kaleta (guitarist for Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade) is bringing his Super Yamba Band from Brooklyn to Denver, to deliver an electrifying fusion of Afrobeat, funk, and traditional West African rhythms, channeling the vibrant spirit of Nigerian and Beninese musical traditions

Cocktails at 7:00 PM | Music at 8:00 PM

For more information and tickets, visit www.maspresents.org

Kaleta and Super Yamba Band are a dynamic musical group known for their electrifying fusion of Afrobeat, funk, and traditional West African rhythms.

Fronted by the charismatic Léon Ligan-Majek, better known as Kaleta, the band channels the vibrant energy of Nigerian and Beninese musical traditions. Kaleta, a singer and guitarist, from the West African country of Benin Republic, lived his adolescent life in Lagos, Nigeria where Afrobeat was born.

His guitar chops and infectious charisma earned him decades of touring and recording with King Sunny Ade, Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti, and more. In fact, Kaleta went on to tour the world playing guitar for the King of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, in his storied band Egypt 80 through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

His time with Egypt 80 exposed him to the political and cultural significance of Afrobeat, which he absorbed and continues to incorporate into his music. Since moving to the United States Kaleta has served as a leading ambassador of African music in the diaspora.

In 2017, Kaleta joined Super Yamba Band, based in Brooklyn, NY. The band complements Kaleta's powerful vocals and guitar work with pulsating grooves, lively horns, and high-energy performances. Together, they have captivated audiences worldwide, delivering a sound that is both deeply rooted in African heritage and irresistibly modern.

The band’s debut album, Mèdaho, which was released by California indie label Ubiquity Records, draws on the group’s shared reverence for the raw, psychedelic sounds that captivated Kaleta as a music loving kid in 1970s Benin. “Mèdaho” means "big brother", "elder", or "teacher" and is dedicated to Kaleta's late brother Ligan-Ozavino Pascal who introduced him to funk and soul music at a very early age.

The album was included on Bandcamp’s Best Albums of Summer 2019 list and two of the songs were chosen for the ABC/Hulu series High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz.

In 2019, Kaleta & Suber Yamba Band performed at the historic Apollo Theatre in New York as well as on Adult Swim’s Fishcenter Live show, earning them widespread exposure across the US. The band’s captivating sound even prompted Action Bronson to stop his own show on VICELAND TV just so he could hear more Yamba! Said Afropop Worldwide of Kaleta, “His James Brown grunts have got to be some of the best in the business!”

Don't miss your chance to experience the electrifying energy of Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band live in Denver — their high-energy performance will have you dancing all night long!

TICKETS