Beyond the Shadow of Fela: Tropical Diaspora Records® Presents Pax Nicholas, The Uncompromising Soul of Authentic Afrobeat
BERLIN, GERMANY – The name Fela Kuti is synonymous with Afrobeat, but the genre's living heartbeat extends far beyond one man. Tropical Diaspora Records® is proud to spotlight the legendary Pax Nicholas (Nicholas Addo-Nettey)—not as a relic of the past, but as the potent, political, and profoundly funky present and future of the sound.
A Ghanaian percussionist, composer, and activist, Pax Nicholas is one of the last active pillars of Fela’s seminal Africa 70. His journey began in 1972 in Lagos, contributing his iconic percussion to what would become one of Fela's biggest hits, the album "Shakara." For the next six years, Pax was at the epicenter of Afrobeat's global ascendancy, touring the world and holding court at the legendary Shrine club, where he shared stages with icons from James Brown and Stevie Wonder to Paul McCartney.
His story, however, did not end in 1978 when he, alongside other band members, left Nigeria after a historic concert at the Berlin Philharmonic. While others dispersed across Europe, Pax made Berlin his home and his creative crucible.
It is a narrative often told through the lens of his famous bandleader. But to see only Fela in Pax Nicholas is to miss the man entirely. Pax is not a replica; he is a revolutionary source. A heavyweight in his own right, his credibility comes not just from association, but from embodiment. Pax is Afrobeat because he is Africa and has the Beat.
In the decades since, he has forged a formidable path. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he became a linchpin of Berlin's African music scene before founding his visionary ensemble, The Ridimtaksi, in 2003. This powerful 12-piece collective, comprised of skilled musicians from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe, is the vessel for Pax's mission: to renew the legacy and radical memory of African music.
On stage, The Ridimtaksi is an unstoppable force. They seamlessly fuse classic Afrobeat with modern iterations, Ghanaian High-Life, raw funk, soul, and gospel. Driven by Pax Nicholas's compositions, the band creates a bump ‘n’ grind groove that is both timeless and urgent, compelling audiences to move and to feel.
This is a conscious departure from the sanitized, commercially-driven "Afrobeat" often packaged by Western labels. For Pax, the fight is not over. Sitting beneath the portraits of Malcolm X and Kwame Nkrumah, he asserts that the music must remain political. The radicalism and revolutionary spirit must be retained.
"We still fight for Africa," Pax states. "We need to be political. Political in the lives we steer through our music, through the soul and the gospel, the funk and the reggae. All Africa, all Afrobeat."
Tropical Diaspora Records® is honored to present Pax Nicholas—not as a chapter from a past era, but as a defining artist of today, carrying the authentic torch of Afrobeat forward with unmatched power, passion, and purpose.
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About Pax Nicholas:
Pax Nicholas (Nicholas Addo-Nettey) is a Ghanaian Afrobeat legend, percussionist, composer, and activist. A key member of Fela Kuti's Africa 70 from 1972-1978, he is credited on seminal albums like "Shakara." He has performed with music icons including James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Based in Berlin, he leads the 12-piece band The Ridimtaksi, continuing to evolve the Afrobeat genre with authenticity and political fervor.
About Tropical Diaspora Records®:
Tropical Diaspora Records® is dedicated to promoting authentic, culturally significant music from the African diaspora and beyond, focusing on artists who carry forward deep musical traditions while innovating for the future.