After years of bringing the spirit of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti to life on Broadway, Sierra Leone-born performer Duain Richmond is stepping into a new creative era with the launch of Sacred Noise Unknown (SNX), a multinational musical collective that celebrates Afrobeat while embracing the broader sounds of the African diaspora.
The project will make its live debut on August 21 at the LA Jazz Festival’s Caribbean Street Carnival in Venice, California. The performance forms part of the inaugural LA Jazz Festival, a 17-day citywide celebration running from August 7 to August 23. Billed as the largest Black-owned jazz festival in the world, the event is expected to attract more than 250,000 attendees and aims to become the world’s third-largest international jazz festival.
Richmond, who is best known for his portrayal of Fela Anikulapo Kuti in the Broadway production ‘FELA!’ said Sacred Noise Unknown is not an attempt to recreate the past but a natural evolution of the artistic philosophy that has shaped his career.
Rather than functioning as a tribute act, SNX draws inspiration from Afrobeat’s revolutionary spirit while weaving together influences from Afrobeats, highlife, jazz, funk, and other musical traditions from across the African diaspora.
“The collective allows music lovers and artists to come together and have an open space to fulfill creativeness. and to connect with the power of music,” Richmond said.
“You can look at us as the Avengers because we all have our superpowers, and it’s beautiful when we can all come together as a collective and have a spiritual movement,” he added.
Richmond, who was born in Sierra Leone and raised in the United States, has built a career spanning theatre, film, television and music. Beyond Broadway’s ‘FELA!’, his acting credits include Stomp the Yard, Drumline: A New Beat, and Daddy’s Little Girls.
Sacred Noise Unknown assembles an impressive roster of musicians whose résumés span some of the most respected names in Afrobeat and global music. The debut lineup features Marcos Garcia (Antibalas, Here Lies Man) on guitar, Tosin Aribisala (AMAYO) on drums, Greg Bryant (Concurrence) on bass, Lidia Rodriguez (Madame Gandhi, La Misa Negra) on tenor saxophone, and Roberto Navarro (Buyepongo, Zulu Ali Group) on percussion.
The ensemble also includes singer and dancer Aimée Wodobodé, an original cast member of ‘FELA!’ on Broadway and its first national tour, alongside Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Lily Ogé. Helping shape the project’s musical direction is Los Angeles-based musical director, arranger, and baritone saxophonist Leah Concialdi, whose work with independent artists has informed SNX’s collaborative approach.
According to Richmond, Sacred Noise Unknown is more than a band. It is an evolving creative community bringing together musicians, dancers, designers, educators, and producers under a shared commitment to artistic exploration and cultural exchange.
Its name reflects that mission. “Sacred” honors ancestry, legacy, and purpose; “Noise” represents celebration, resistance, and creative disruption, while “Unknown” embraces discovery, possibility, and the unfinished journey ahead. The acronym SNX also draws inspiration from the symbolic power of the letter X, representing reclamation, possibility, and self-definition.
As Afrobeat continues to inspire new generations of musicians around the world, Sacred Noise Unknown arrives as a project that looks forward rather than backwards. By blending tradition with innovation and collaboration across cultures, Richmond is positioning SNX as an evolving platform where African musical heritage continues to grow, transform, and find new audiences.
Photo Credit: Sheldon Botler
