West African highlife, which originated at the end of the 19th century, can sometimes seem to just chug along and be a bit meandering, but the same definitely can’t be said about The Cavemen. Their aim is to adapt the highlife their parents used to listen to for the present times, into a broad mix featuring Afrobeat, soul, and jazz. The Nigerian duo, hailing from the musical metropolis of Lagos, appeals to a new generation by linking nostalgia with electrically charged live performances. The Chukwudi brothers are the trailblazers of the highlife renaissance, and are registering millions of streams with the 'new' genre. Although they are also a hit within Nigeria's hugely popular rap scene (they collaborated with Davido) their approach is significantly different. The Cavemen carry a message of love and philosophy, matched with rootsy live music. Drums, trumpets, piano and, of course, percussion define their sound, which happily oscillates between Afrobeat and languid soul.
