The group was formed in Long Island, NY as the ; deciding America was already overloaded with funk acts, in 1971 they relocated to France, but when frontman returned stateside the remaining members renamed themselves became the house session band at producer 's Parisound studio. Regularly performing live in Paris' Barbès district - an area made up primarily of African immigrants - the driving funk of became increasingly influenced by African rhythms and textures, and in the wake of their 1973 debut LP , Jaubert changed the group's name to the Lafayette Afro Rock Band. In 1974 they released their second album 'Soul Makossa' (issued in the U.S. as ), highlighted by the oft-covered and much-sampled 'Hihache'. The follow-up, , featured the cut 'Darkest Light', its desolate saxophone intro later sampled for use by for track 'Show 'Em Whatcha Got'. With 1976's , the group reverted to the Ice moniker. In 1978 the band returned to America where they disbanded soonafter.
Though little known in their native U.S., the Lafayette Afro Rock Band was among the premier funk outfits of the 1970s, later becoming a seemingly endless source of samples and breaks for everyone from to .
Name Vars
- Afro Lafayette Rock Band
- Lafayette
- Lafayette Afro - Rock Band
- Lafayette Afro Rockband
- Lafayette Afro-Rock Band
- The Lafayette Afro Rock Band
- The Lafayette Afro-Rock Band
Aliases
- Ice
- Captain Dax
- Les Atlantes
- Krispie And Company
- Wall Of Steel
- Seven Americans In Paris
- Sweet Exorcist
- Bionic Unlimited
- Mighty Disco Machine
Members
- Arthur Young
- Larry Jones
- Keno Speller
- Ronnie Buttacavoli
- Frank Abel
- Donny Donable
- Lafayette Hudson