Kalakuta Republic
Tue, 07 July
|The Grand Hotel
Online ticket sales have closed. Limited tickets still available at the door. Rebecca Parkes – Vocals/percussion Ben Ewald & Erik Flett & Kim Pink – Saxes Jake Kennedy & Connor Ferguson-Tait – Guitars Jim Chapman – Bass Fode Mane – Congas Aiden Ferguson-Tait – Drums
Time & Location
07 July 2026, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The Grand Hotel, 32 Church St, Newcastle NSW 2300, Australia
About the Event
Kalakuta Republic is a local band led by saxophonist Ben Ewald who formed the band in 2023. The band performs in the Nigerian Afrobeat style - the uplifting, multi-layered dance and protest music of Fela Kuti, the Nigerian anti-colonial campaigner of the 1970s and 80s. Kalakuta Republic also performs material inspired by Tizita (Ethiopia) , Kwella (South Africa), along with their own original tunes. Expect call-and-response vocals, a funky horn section, complex guitar and drum grooves, and extended improvisations. It's music for dancing or deep listening, with meaningful lyrics carried forward in the jazz tradition.
Rebecca Parkes – Vocals/percussion
Ben Ewald & Erik Flett & Kim Pink – Saxes
Jake Kennedy & Connor Ferguson-Tait – Guitars
Jim Chapman – Bass
Fode Mane – Congas