Allen Taylor's Afrobeat Orchestra

Formed in 2006 from a group of Nigerian friends & musicians that had settled in and around Dublin over the preceding 6 years Adeniyi Allen-Taylor’s Afrobeat Orchestra perform Afrobeat and High Life music from their Nigerian (Yoruba) roots. Lead singer, saxophonist, organist, composer/arranger Adeniyi Allen-Taylor originates from Abeokuta in SW Nigeria the birth place of Fela Kuti. He is joined on stage by his wife Tomilola the chorus leader and soloist alongside her fellow choristers drawn from the Dublin African Gospel Choir of which she is the musical director.

Their repertoire is all written, composed and arranged by Adeniyi and his wife Tomilola with a few members of the band and includes some inevitable musical references to the Kuti dynasty. Some band members had previously played with or for Femi Kuti.

With a line-up that includes Tenor, alto and baritone sax alongside the trumpet and a 3 piece chorus section their sound is big bold brassy and soulful; on some occasions with special guests there are over 20 on stage! No longer just a band, Adeniyi Allen-Taylor’s Afrobeat Orchestra had arrived. Their infectious Afrobeat rhythms assured to keep your feet busy.

The Early Years: Starting-out as a smaller ensemble called ‘Oleku Band’ they made their debut Ireland performance in 2007 at a festival in Cork City and have since performed on many stages at all the big festivals around the country, frequently being invited back for repeat performances. In their debut season they were invited to perform in a marquee at The Ploughing Championships in Tullamore where they proved a great hit with the farming community, many of whom hung around for their next performance after experiencing one earlier. Oleku Band were an essential part of the line-up for the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures and appeared on numerous occasions up until its untimely demise.

In April 2011 they travelled to Eger in Hungary, as Oleku Band, where they performed at Eger EthnoFest to great acclaim, they are now Eger’s favourite African Band and were filmed by the local TV station and feted by the press. They had become the first African band formed in Ireland to be invited for an overseas performance. Around this time they were also being filmed by Ireland’s national TV station (RTE) for their news & current affairs programme Nationwide on RTE 1. The band and its individual members are now frequently called upon to perform overseas.