The Lower East Side boutique International Playground played host to Miami’s award-winning electro outfit Afrobeta on Friday night as part of the city-wide Fashion's Night Out.
The Cuban-American collaboration began four years ago when Cuci Amador, 30, and Tony Smurphio, 36, met at an open mic and they’ve been dropping beats together ever since.
Afrobeta compare their set up to Chromeo. Smurphio explained, “It’s funky. It’s two people. It’s similar. One singer. She’s very much like Dave 1 and I do very similar things to P-Thugg, the keyboard player.”
Amador adds, “We like them a lot. We cover one of their songs in Spanish, ‘100%.’ ‘Ciento Por Ciento.’”
While you may not have heard of them, they insist you should start paying attention. Smurphio told us that “The Jersey Shore" licensed their music (though they deny every watching the show).
The twosome recently released their first EP, "Do You Party?," a hard-hitting introduction to what is sure to be an awesome debut, due out in early 2011. With racy booty-shakers like the shout-bounce ballad, “Play House,” it’ll be no time before Manhattan nightclubs blast the duo's tracks.
