Chopteeth
Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band brings an energetic, dance-oriented celebration of African music to the Riverworks Outdoor Stage. The 11-member Washington-area ensemble combines classic highlife, rumba, afrobeat, and other sounds from Africa’s 1970s musical heyday with original songs shaped by the era’s music and social message.
The group’s sound features two guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, and the powerful Chopteeth horn section. Its repertoire includes original compositions alongside interpretations of music associated with Fela Kuti, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Orchestra Baobab, Manu Dibango, Ernesto Djedje, O.J. Ekemode, The Sweet Talks, Alhadji K. Frimpong, Samba Mapangala, Simandou de Beyla, Marijata, Eric Agyeman, and others.
When: October 10, 2026
Showtimes: 6:00–8:00 p.m. (Saturday)
Tickets: Donate what you want. Contributions are accepted online and at the door.
Lineup: Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band, an 11-member ensemble featuring two guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, and horns. Michael Shereikis is the lead singer.
Music: Highlife, rumba, afrobeat, afrofunk, and related African dance music, including original compositions and classic material.
Run time: Two hours, based on the scheduled 6:00–8:00 p.m. performance.
Background: Chopteeth has performed throughout the Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Virginia areas for more than 20 years. The band has appeared with groups and artists including Parliament Funkadelic, Trombone Shorty, Galactic, Aaron Neville, Cyril Neville, the Derek Trucks Band, Ozomatli, Grupo Fantasma, Konono No. 1, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Gov’t Mule, Soulive, Greyboy Allstars, The Iguanas, War, and Chuck Brown. Its appearances have included HBO’s “The Wire” wrap party, the Congo Square World Music Festival in New Orleans, regional colleges, and festivals such as Artscape, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, the Silver Spring Jazz Festival, and Adams Morgan Day Festival.
Recordings: The band’s award-winning 2008 debut album, “Chopteeth,” included original songs featuring Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Anna Mwalagho, and Head-Roc. “Chopteeth Live!” followed in 2010 with selections recorded at live performances in Ghana, Senegal, Congo, Guinea, and Nigeria. In 2017, the band released “Bone Reader,” a collection of new original songs.
Recognition: The Washington Area Music Association has given Chopteeth 14 Wammie Awards, including Artist of the Year, Debut CD of the Year, World Music CD, and World Music Group. Shereikis has won Best World Music Vocalist three times and has also received nominations for Producer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Musician of the Year.
Venue: Riverworks Outdoor Stage, Riverworks Art Center, 17617 W Willard Road, Beallsville, MD 20839.
Presented by: Riverworks Art Center.
Accessibility: No accessibility information is currently available for this event.
Contact: Riverworks Art Center can be reached at (301) 690-9337 or contact@riverworksart.org.