Roots of Antibalas

Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.

The Daktaris, whose name means "doctors" in Swahili, were a funk and Afrobeat studio project from Brooklyn, United States. After recording the album some of its members have gone on to be part of the Dap Kings and Antibalas and features veteran Cameroonian drummer Jojo Kuo on drums, vocals, and percussion. The name of the group was inspired by the TV show Daktari, an American family drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969, a fictional Study Center for Animal Behavior in East Africa.

Eduardo Palmieri was an American musician, bandleader, and composer of Puerto Rican heritage. He was the founder of the bands La Perfecta (1961), La Perfecta II (2002), and Harlem River Drive (1970).