A Nomad in Bed-Stuy

In today’s society, many of us are semi-nomadic, moving around from one city and one neighborhood, to another. And we land here in Bed-Stuy for various reasons, bringing our diverse experiences with us and making the neighborhood dynamic.

One such migrant to Bed-Stuy is musician and martial arts instructor Duke Amayo. Originally from Nigeria but a long-time New Yorker, Amayo moved to Bed-Stuy during the last year. In addition to being in the beloved Brooklyn band Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Amayo’s true passion is martial arts, and he is teaching his own hybrid form of Kung Fu called Fu Rhythm Fitness (it’s fun, I’ve tried a class!) at Sacred yoga studio on Clifton Place. Recently Amayo has formed his own solo musical act, called Amayo’s Fu Arkist Ra; he has an upcoming show on August 12 at Zebulon in Williamsburg.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Brooklyn?

 I’m from Nigeria – from Lagos, the capital. The area called Ikeja. I came here when I was around 17. 

Where did you start doing kung fu?

In Nigeria, first it was judo, then karate. I was very influenced by that 1970s pop culture, kung fu films, along with the music that was happening at that time. For me there was a collision of that culture and a festival that occurred in Nigeria called FESTAC. That’s where I got my epiphany: that I was gonna come to America, be part of the whole 70s pop culture. It was kind of a Renaissance of music that dealt with revolution. The civil rights movement was at an explosive moment. Musicians who came to Nigeria were coming with that fire.

You had a military dictatorship in Nigeria at that time.

Yes, and [the dictator] was getting ready to rape the country, to take as much money as possible. And the festival, I didn’t think about it then, but in hindsight it was a distraction – to steal more money. That was the time when Fela, when his distrust began with the government. They had approached him to be the musical director of the festival. But he said, instead of being part of it I’m gonna do my own thing. So he started his club and that became my hang out, me and my friends.

You hung out at the Shrine, Fela Kuti’s famous nightclub?

Oh yeah. That whole period for me was the beginning of my journey to come to America. There was already shortage of space for students in universities in Nigeria. Once you got out of high school there was nothing to do. I thought it made sense to get out of the country. I knew I could do martial arts here. That part of Chinese culture was already in place in different parts of the world.

What was it like coming to America?

It was amazing. When I arrived in New York I had a little extra money, I had time, and I was hanging out at the airport and saw this little tourist counter – first thing that hit me was a helicopter ride. So I’m looking at the Twin Towers from above, and I’m like, this is heaven, this is it! After that I just became jaded! From there I went to Texas, on a soccer scholarship.

What does kung fu add to your life?

It’s a higher knowledge. When I first started doing it, I felt like I had a mission, a responsibility. Everywhere I lived and worked, from Texas to DC to New York, I always had a martial arts practice. I apply martial arts to my life: it’s about symmetry, aligning movement. Kung Fu can evolve with you as you move from place to place. It’s about resilience. When you reach a certain position, when you become a Sifu, there are certain responsibilities. My message resides in Fu Arkist Ra.

Why do you live in Bed-Stuy?

It’s the only place that may not get completely gentrified. Where else can you run to? My gentrification – my displacement – began in Ghana, when my family was chased out of Ghana to Nigeria. I’ve never really felt settled. I was more comfortable with being a roamer. In my new record, which will be released in September, I give homage to indigenous people, the real displaced people.

Interview has been edited and condensed.