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■ Obi Original
Obi Original (real name Obiora Obikwelu) is a Nigerian-born, Minneapolis-based Afrobeats producer, songwriter, and bandleader. He performs with his live band, The Black Atlantics

One of the great things about covering outdoor music and block festivals besides being outdoors is seeing a great, many bands. One of the disadvantages is sometimes you can only catch a few songs of one band before you have to move onto the other. That was the case at Grand Old Days in June. I saw eleven bands and one caught my ear. Immediately, the crowd started dancing to Obi Original and the Black Atlantics, but for me it was time to move to the next act. I wanted to stay, and I was glad that they were playing a full set at the Hopkins Sunset Series which takes place at the snug and leafy Downtown Park.

Like another Twin Cities band, Salsa del Soul, Obi Original and the Black Atlantics are all about spreading love and joy and getting people out of their lawn chairs. It took a little bit of time, being that most in the crowd were in the AARP range and those lawn chairs were pretty comfortable. But Obi was undeterred, engaging the crowd with a call and response of “Say Yeah! Yeah!” finally laying down the law with “Listen, I don’t have time for Minnesota nice.”

That seemed to do the trick. It seemed to give people permission to get up and dance in front of the stage even if they were blocking those who remained seated.

Obi Original and the Black Atlantics are a collective fronted by their energetic leader, who has made it his mission to spread the musical culture of his native Nigeria, a music rooted in the Afro beat that is joyous, chaotic and feels like it could go on forever.

We are big fans of West African music, whether it is Seun Kuti, Vieux Farka Toure or Mdou Moctar, and you can add Obi Original to the list. More than any other musician I’ve covered, he wants to create a musical community. He said that he and the band wandered Main Street before the show and even met a new friend, Heather. And even though most of his songs were in the Ido language, it was the drums, congas, bass and guitars that drove people to dance.

An hour went by just like that when Obi and his band finished with a new song “Sorry Oga!” Obi then said, “I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other.” He encouraged the crowd to visit his website, buy his music and merch so he and his band can tour in the future. And that was it, but it wasn’t as the crowd didn’t leave.

“You want another one,” Obi asked. Indeed they did. So Obi Original and the Black Atlantics launched into a fifteen-minute free jam that had Obi working in a little self promotion: “I’m Obi Original. You better Google me!”