Fantastic Negrito
CL RECOMMENDS
CRITIC’S PICK
Sun. Feb. 23.
Fantastic Negrito, Stardust Sonata, The Masquerade—Whenever people complain there is nothing new in blues, a personality like Fantastic Negrito appears to prove them wrong. Starting in 2014, Negrito who had been playing soulful R&B to little acclaim, took on a new progressive blues image and almost immediately made an impression by incorporating psychedelia and experimental aspects into the music. A few Grammy awards later, he continues to push the envelope beyond its breaking point with last year’s Son of a Broken Man. It’s yet another indescribable highlight in a catalog where no two albums sound the same. His live show is as riveting as his studio work, making this a must-see experience. — Hal Horowitz
From the venue:
3x GRAMMY® Award-winner Fantastic Negrito releases his highly anticipated new album, Son of a Broken Man, on October 18 2024 via his own Storefront Records. The new album sees Fantastic Negrito encapsulating his inimitable style, from hard-hitting guitar riffs to expressive ballads, with the unexpected twists that have become his trademark. It stands as one of his
most personal works to date, exploring family, deception, and the human desire to hide the true self as he dives deep into the struggle between father and son.
Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, Fantastic Negrito’s story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of music. By now much has been made of Negrito’s unique story – growing up in an orthodox Muslim household, a doomed major label deal, the near-fatal car crash that permanently damaged his guitar playing hand—as well as the remarkable redemption arc that began in 2015, when he won the first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest.
Fantastic Negrito | 02/23/2025 7:00 PM