Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

The Afromotive is a 10-piece afrobeat ensemble from Asheville, NC. Frontman Kevin Meyame leads The Afromotive with fellow Ivorian and master drummer Adama Dembele on djembe and congas.

Dembele has toured several continents, and brings his family's 33 generations of music to The Afromotive. He has performed with many international artists and was a member of the traditional drum groups Yelemba d’Abidjan and Ensemble Koteba.

Originally from Cote D'Ivoire, West Africa, Kevin Meyame has performed throughout West Africa and France with drum and dance troupe Tanably. He moved to Asheville, NC in 2004 to perform as lead dancer with Ballet Warraba, and along with bassist Ryan Reardon, founded the musical collaboration that is The Afromotive. Singing in French, English, and his native language of Baoule, as well as providing polyrhythms on djembe and congas, Kevin adds a West African flavor to the Afrobeat sound. The Afromotive has synthesized a sound that crosses musical and ethnic boundaries.

On their debut album "Scare Tactics," The Afromotive takes the raw energy of their live performance into the studio. This album is an elaboration on the language of afrobeat music, yielding a truly unique sound that is rooted in tradition.