Heart, soul and funk

At Fassler, Count Tutu plays for charity, The New Tulsa Meters pay tribute to Allen Toussaint

Although they played their first show a mere six months ago, Tulsa afrobeat revivalists Count Tutu are already packing houses. Featuring Branjae (of Branjae and the Filthy Animals) on vocals and an ensemble cast of Tulsa soul players, the 11-piece band has been burning down dance floors. They’ve also been bringing in donations for charity.

Every show Count Tutu plays is a drive of sorts. For its January 23 show at Fassler Hall, the band is partnering with Night Light Tulsa and asking for winter wear donations for the homeless. Tutu’s mastermind, Nathan Wright, told me the group’s mission is inspired by former Tulsa-turned-Chicago musician, Ryan Tedder. “I’ve got a good, privileged life,” Tedder told Wright, “and every day I don’t spend a little bit of time helping people with less privilege than me, I just feel like an asshole.”

Incidentally, it was also Tedder who turned Wright onto the music of Fela Kuti, the Nigerian godfather of afrobeat, which inspired Count Tutu’s formation. 

Afrobeat shares many rhythmic similarities to American funk, but with a more dense approach to auxiliary percussion beats, eschewing the crutch of the two/four snare back beat. It’s incorporation of horns, jazz inflections and traditional African chants cement it as a sound unto itself. The sounds of Fela Kuti (and even his political views, “excluding the polygamy part,” according to Wright) inspired the Tulsa guitarist to form his own approximation of afrobeat.

There have been grunts of disapproval in the music scene from some who see the group’s music and performance as more an appropriation of African culture than a celebration of it. 

“If it was a group of African Americans [objecting], of course we’d take it serious,” Wright reasoned. “But so far it’s just been white people making remarks here and there.” He said he believes Tutu celebrates African music in an atmosphere of revelation—and respect. He added that Tutu recently performed a raucous show with two Nigerian musicians in their ranks, who enjoyed every second of it.

“Music transcends color and race. Tutu performs all types of music, from funk to afrobeat to reggae,” Branjae said. “I do agree there is a fine line that seems to offend people from time to time. I don’t believe Tutu is crossing any of those lines because we play music from a place of love, not separation. Now, is it more received and accepted if I sing African songs because I’m black than it is for Nathan to sing the same songs because he’s white? Some may answer that differently … it’s clear none of us are African or Jamaican, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t dug in to learn about the cultures and share its love through our own interpretation.”

Toussaint’s suit

15 years ago Tulsa musician Chris Foster (Green Corn Rebellion) received a cassette of Allen Toussaint’s music from his friend, Jonathan Taylor. According to Foster, the tape changed his life. When Toussaint—a legendary New Orleans producer central to the Delta R&B and funk scenes—died late last year, Foster immediately called Taylor, who lives in St. Louis, and suggested they get a band together. The two enlisted a mean collection of Tulsa players, including Chris Combs of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, and The New Tulsa Meters were born.

Foster grew up in NOLA in the 70s, when Toussaint was making his music there. He wonders if he has “some sort of cosmic connection” to Toussaint’s work. “Southern music is lavish, but for normal folks,” Foster said. “Southern folks put so much into a pot of etouffee, or a record, and say ‘we’re gonna deck this out and put a suit on it.’” 

Foster hopes to “put a suit on it” when The New Tulsa Meters perform a set of Toussaint’s music at Fassler Hall on January 29. He’s planning to drag a piano on stage for the evening’s show. 

“It won’t be no digital keyboard,” he said proudly.

For more of Mitch on music, read his profile of Tulsa emcee Johnny Polygon.