Afro Beta is DJ and live percussion-centric night that started in 2009 at The Nile Restaurant in Richmond. It remains as a unique combination of afrofuturistic soundscapes blended with organic rhythms in an open and interactive environment. Many have come and all are welcome when the Children of the Sun gather in celebration…
Afro Beta started in 2009 as the brainchild of Mikemetic and the Teklemariam brothers at Nile Ethiopian Restaurant in Richmond, VA. Natan, the eldest brother at the restaurant, and Mikemetic had a deep desire to bring the soulful house and afrobeat vibes that they experienced living in NYC and Philly respectively to RVA. They both recognized and had personally experienced the unifying power of deep rhythms, dancing, and community engagement through robust cultural experiences at events like Body and Soul in NYC and Jump ‘n Funk in Philly.
From that point on, the intoxicating combination of interactive drumming, solid DJ mixing, awesome people, and an afrofuturist audio-visual aesthetic driven by the imagery of Mikemetic’s flyer designs pushed Afro Beta into becoming a stable and celebrated event in the Richmond community every first Saturday at The Nile for over 5 years. However, the Nile closed in 2014 and since then Afro Beta has seen a variety of homes at Emilio’s, Tropical Soul, and other local venues. Since 2016 Afro Beta has been at the Hofheimer Building sharing time between the rooftop and their Dark Room Lounge.