Afrolicious is a dance-fusion collective based in San Francisco, California. Founded by brothers Joe "Pleasuremaker" McGuire and Oz "Señor Oz" McGuire, the group's weekly residency at the Elbo Room in the Mission District has established Afrolicious as an integral player in the San Francisco live music scene. At its core Afrolicious consists of a DJ duo, but has since expanded to include a live band with as many as twelve pieces as well as a project known as Afrolicious Soundsystem.[1] In addition to its reputation for regular touring, Afrolicious has released two EPs as well as a full length original album.
Afrolicious | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Genres | Afrobeat, dance-fusion, Latin sounds, funk, dub, electro |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | ESL Music, Afrolicious Music |
Afrolicious began as a project of Joe "Pleasuremaker" McGuire to link different genres of the African diaspora. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, multi-instrumentalist and DJ/producer Pleasuremaker followed his brother Oz in relocating to San Francisco in 2006.[2] It was there that the brothers created a weekly party, known as Afrolicious, at the Mission District's Elbo Room. With their unofficial motto "It's a party, not a show", the weekly Afrolicious night at the Elbo Room became a breeding ground for the duo to scout out musicians for a new band.[3] Soon the duo was collaborating with artists around the Bay Area music scene and writing original music under the name Afrolicious. By 2010 the band Afrolicious as it is known today had begun gelling together.
Afrolicious perform as a live band, as DJs (Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz), and as Afrolicious Soundsystem.
Afrolicious' two EPs, released on ESL Music, were by produced by Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation. Their full length debut original album, California Dreaming, was released in March 2013 on their own label, Afrolicious Music. In addition to the following releases, Afrolicious is loosely affiliated with a worldwide group of DJs, producers, bands, and labels who produce contemporary soulful dance music inspired by sounds of the African diaspora, including Antibalas, Chico Mann, Nickodemus, DJ Smash, Wonderwheel Recordings, Subsuelo, and Cumba Mela.