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Growing up as a child in Kenya, Sila Mutungi faced unbelievable poverty, hardship, and ostracism. Born out of wedlock—a cultural taboo—he was raised by his maternal grandmother, a deeply-religious woman who ironically provided his first introduction to Western music. “She used to listen to Christian sermons on Voice of America radio,” he relates. “That program was followed by a pop-oriented show which featured artists like James Brown, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, and the Jackson Five. Though Sila’s grandmother considered secular music taboo—“’Devil music,’ she called it,” he recalls—after seeing how happy the music made her grandson, she allowed him to listen to the show, as long as he also listened to the sermons. “That's how I got the music bug,” he says.

Sila educated himself in pop sensibilities by sneaking into church after-hours to play the piano. He was soon caught by the pastor, “who made a deal with me that if I attended church and helped around I could play the piano,” he remembers.

He began his music career playing what he describes as “Catholic rock ‘n’ roll” in church in Kenya. When he moved to Washington D.C. in 1986, he attempted to be an R&B singer a la Babyface, but soon found his heavy Kenyan accent didn’t exactly endear him to label execs. Relocating yet again to San Francisco in 1996, he remembers being inspired by a sold-out Baaba Maal show at the Fillmore Auditorium. “Seeing an African artist who embraced his cultural heritage was beautiful,” he says. “I saw that I didn’t have to hide my African-ness.” At the same time, he adds, “I love funk and soul.”

Seeking out musicians who could help him create the global fusion sound he imagined in his head, Sila formed the AfroFunk Experience in 2003. Currently, the band’s lineup consists of tenor sax specialist David Boyce (a founder of Afro-futurist jazz ensemble the Broun Fellinis), bassist Wendell Rand, guitarists Ken House and David James, drummer Bennie Murray, trumpeter Mike Pitre, trombonist Andre Webb, and master African percussionists Caramba Kouyate (from Guinea) and Samba Guisse (from Senegal).

On their critically-acclaimed debut album, The Funkiest Man in Africa, Sila and the AFE distinguished themselves from other Kuti-influenced outfits by incorporating not just standard-issue Afrobeat, but other African genres, such as zouk and soukous, as well as Western influences like Sly Stone and Funkadelic.

Black President, their second album, finds the San Francisco-based world music ensemble at a crossroads, moving toward progress and change in both their lives and their music. Fans of The Funkiest Man in Africa will no doubt notice that on Black President, the musical chemistry has blossomed; Sila and the AFE delve even deeper into funky Afro-groove and socially-conscious, politically-aware messages.

The album’s title was inspired by the election of the USA’s first Kenyan-American President, Barack Obama, whose historic victory raised hopes not just in America, but internationally. Fittingly, the album cover painting (by Jarrod Eastman) shows Obama holding Africa in his hands. As Sila explains, that symbolism reflects the fact that “Many Africans believe that Obama is African and he owns his lineage and heritage to Africa. He is a son of Africa; it is in his heart and in the blood of his children. His roots are in Kenya.”

Along with James Brown and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Obama forms an iconic trinity of musical, cultural, political and ideological influences on Black President. Like Kuti, Sila connects personal issues with larger social and political ideas, and echoes of classic Afrobeat are evident in the AFE’s call-and response choruses, highly syncopated percussion, blazing horns and incessant grooves. Brown is paid direct tribute on “I’m Freaking Out,” in addition to being frequently referenced via Sila’s onstage shrieks and screams, not to mention the chicken-scratch guitar and funky basslines running through the AFE’s sound.

All those influences come together on the album’s title track. As the AFE chugs along with a locomotive-like groove, Sila riffs on the imperative for change which swept Obama to victory. Strident, punchy horns, an insistent bassline, fuzztone guitars, and fervent cries of “I am change, you are change…love is all we need now” combine with a seriously funk-infused rhythmic sensibility which connects Obama’s message of hope to Fela’s revolutionary thrust and Brown’s sho-nuff sensibility.

That message underlines emotionally-and-politically-charged new songs like “Shelter,” a no-holds-barred funk throwdown whose title is a metaphor for the need for safe-sex practices given the realities of the global AIDS epidemic; “Thief in the House,” a rallying cry against neo-colonialism and political corruption; “What Makes You Laugh Makes You Cry,” a commentary on tribalism in African society; and “I Am Tired,” a song denouncing endless warmongering among Western nations.

Yet rhythmically-pulsating, foot-stomping anthems of resistance are only part of the AfroFunk Experience. “Africa,” a love song dedicated to Sila’s motherland and the beauty of African women, revels in positive vibes; meanwhile, on “You’ve Gotta Love You,” Sila emphasizes self--love and positive self-esteem. Other songs explore Diasporan influences, from the kinky reggae of “Close to You” to the Latin-tinged “Beauty Queen” to the Motown-y pop/soul stylings of “Live it Up.”

A musical and artistic breakthrough, Black President reflects a deeper realization of the band’s ever-evolving identity. To paraphrase Fela’s famous credo, Sila and the AFE want to use music as a weapon for peace and cultural education. “My goal on the album was to reach out to the younger generation, who have never heard of Baaba Maal, Manu Chao, or Youssou N'Dour,” Sila explains. “I want to make African music hip to young people.”

Sila’s mission involves combining music with humanitarian causes. For the past five years, he has co-produced the AfroFunk Festival, which has not only raised musical consciousness among audiences from Seattle to San Diego, but raised much-needed funds for education, medical, and health services for East African children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. Playing benefit shows, Sila explains, is his way “to stay connected to other people, to remember that it's not only about us but community.”

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