Special to Iredell Free News

The Iredell Arts Council will host a free street concert on Saturday, May 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. Headlining the concert is New York-based JuJu and Afrobeat band, Kaleta and Super Yamba, with a performance by local opening act, Fair Sound.

Beer, wine and food trucks will be on site. Court Street will be closed beside the Old Jail.

Kaleta and Super Yamba are fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Kaleta. The singer/guitarist from the West African country of Benin Republic lived his adolescent life in Lagos, Nigeria, where Afrobeat was born. Kaleta’s guitar chops earned him decades of touring and recording with Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Lauryn Hill and more.

Kaleta got his start in the late 1970s, performing in church. A few years later Kaleta would go on to tour, playing guitar for the King of Afrobeat in his storied band Egypt 80 through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

Now based in New York City, Kaleta has been leading Super Yamba Band since 2017. Their debut album was included on Bandcamp’s “Best Albums of Summer 2019” list and two of the songs were chosen for the ABC/Hulu series High Fidelity staring Zoe Kravitz.

Kaleta and his band performed at the historic Apollo Theatre in 2019 and in 2022 at the Kennedy Center. They rocked Paste Magazine’s Emerging Music Festival in NYC and after that performance Afropop Worldwide fell in love with Kaleta, saying “his James Brown grunts have got to be some of the best in the business!”

The public is invited to join attend this evening of music, food and fun beside the Old Jail, 203 S. Meeting Street in Statesville.