Fantastic Negrito bound for Whelan’s

FANTASTIC Negrito is a man’s truth told in the form of black roots music.

Each song is a true story about a musician from Oakland who experienced the highs of a million-dollar record deal, the lows of a near fatal car accident that put him in a coma, and is now in a phase of rebirth.

In February 2015 he won NPR’s Tiny Desk contest and in March he was one dubbed ‘One of 15 bands to blow up’ at SXSW. In September his song ‘An Honest Man’ was featured as the title track in the Amazon Originals TV series ‘Hand of God’. That same month his EP became the Number One Blues album on iTunes in the US, joining legends Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy.

When this journey began, Fantastic Negrito was busking and opening at small venues for other bands. He is now set to play a dozen major festivals and release his first full length album in 2016.

It means something to be from Oakland, the city that birthed the Hell’s Angels, the first black sports team and America’s oldest street dance. It has always been diverse. It has always understood that danger and edge are critical ingredients for art and culture. And now, Oakland is ground zero for the national discussion on gentrification. Fantastic Negrito – the project of frontman and songwriter Xavier Dphrepaulezz – bridges Oakland’s future with its legendary past. Xavier is a wounded veteran of the city once claimed by the Black Panthers and hustlers. He is a vital voice in what the New York Times called “the hottest city in America.”. His album ‘The Last Days of Oakland’ is about the fallout and rebirth that comes in the wake of a seismic shift.

Fantastic Negrito will be Live at Whelan’s on Sunday, September 18. Tickets priced €29.50, including booking fee, are on sale from Ticketmaster.