Bongo-centric percussion, semi-improvisational production and psychedelic grooves were all central tenets of the Afrobeat and highlife genres that took West Africa by storm in the latter half of the 20th century. Now, London-based KOKOROKO are reinvigorating these pioneering sounds for a whole new generation of listeners.<\/p>\n
The eight-piece, whose band name is an Urhobo \u2013 a Nigerian tribe and language \u2013 word meaning \u2018be strong\u2019, draw great influence from the sense of strength and defiance in the face of struggle that were such cornerstones of Afrobeat music. \u201cThe name KOKOROKO makes sense when you think about the people associated with the music, like Fela Kuti and Ebo Taylor,\u201d guitarist Tobi Adenaike tells NME.<\/p>\n
KOKOROKO were founded by Onome Edgeworth (percussion) and Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet, vocals) in response to, Adenaike says, the \u201clack of representation for traditional African music coming through the lens of Africans being brought up in the UK\u201d. There were two questions at the forefront of the minds of KOKOROKO\u2019s founding members: \u201cWhat would our traditional music sound like coming from London, where there is a massive melting point of cultures? And what would it sound like if it came through our perspective?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Abusey Junction\u2019, the band\u2019s polyrhythmic 2019 breakout hit, was a reimagining of the Afrobeat sound which bridged the gap between different generations of African descendants. A meditative, free-flowing seven-minute instrumental, it\u2019s a fine example of KOKOROKO\u2019s blend of Afrobeat and jazz that feels distinctly rooted in London. \u201cWe can\u2019t escape London being a part of our musical DNA: it\u2019s what we grew up listening to,\u201d Adenaike says. \u201cIt\u2019s our sound. It belongs to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare for instrumental tracks like \u2018Abusey Junction\u2019 to gather such momentum (48 million Spotify streams and counting), but Adenaike clearly feels a sense of pride about how different KOKOROKO are compared to other hitmakers. \u201cMainstream music is driven by vocals, and instruments are normally a backing feature,\u201d he says. \u201cOur music turns that on its head. Now, the voice is treated like any other instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n
By giving every instrument equal weighting, genre-splicing can be achieved with ease. \u201cIt\u2019s not solely Afrobeat, it\u2019s not only jazz, it\u2019s not psychedelic: it\u2019s very difficult to hammer down,\u201d the guitarist continues. \u201cI think that\u2019s one of the things that makes us stand out \u2013 I think we have a very unique sound.<\/p>\n
With their long-awaited debut album \u2018Could We Be More\u2019, out now via Gilles Peterson\u2019s Brownswood Recordings, KOKOROKO are more than ready to embrace the next stage of their career. After all, it\u2019s a moment they\u2019ve eagerly been waiting for ever since they recorded the project back in the summer of 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went away for around four weeks to a seaside town, living together [and] in each other\u2019s space the whole time,\u201d Adenaike recalls of the recording process, which he says differed to the experience of creating their 2019 self-titled debut EP. \u201cThe influences we\u2019ve absorbed growing up are still there, but the way we put it into our music has grown: we\u2019ve gotten better at it. We\u2019re starting to explore different ways to include \u201870s Ghanaian rock with traditional Afrobeat, \u201880s psychedelic and other forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
With such song titles as \u2018Ew\u00e0 In\u00fa\u2019 (meaning \u2018inner beauty\u2019 in Yoruba), \u2018Dide O\u2019 (Yoruba for \u2018arise\u2019) and \u2018We Give Thanks\u2019, KOKOROKO\u2019s debut album evokes feelings of ascension and hope. But the band are also keen not to rest on their laurels. \u201c\u2018Could We Be More\u2019 is purposefully open-ended,\u201d Adenaike explains. \u201cCould we be more than just a band that plays Afrobeat? Could we be more than just musicians? Could we be more than the things people use to label you just so they can understand you? Sometimes, labels can negatively be used to pigeonhole you. Could we be more than the labels that people attach to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Issues of mislabelling and pigeonholing have faced Black British musicians for decades, and it\u2019s a problem that KOKOROKO are intent on avoiding. Adenaike hopes that the changing face of UK jazz music is a step in the right direction that will hopefully allow the band to find their signature sound without getting boxed in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings have definitely gotten better in terms of representation when you think about all of the incredible people coming out of the UK, like Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia [and] Sons of Kemet,\u201d the guitarist says. \u201cEach of us is unique: we\u2019re not all doing the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given that a number of KOKOROKO\u2019s members are alumni of Tomorrow\u2019s Warriors \u2013 an education group committed to increasing and improving diversity in jazz \u2013 it\u2019s clear how the band are actively trying to be the change they want to see in the scene, while their playful songwriting approach makes their sound one that is often accessible and celebratory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to always pay homage and respect the culture that you\u2019ve come from, and also celebrate it, because you want to preserve it for the next generation\u201d, Adenaike says. \u201cIf we don\u2019t play this music it will be forgotten, and then a piece of our culture is lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
KOKOROKO\u2019s deep respect for the culture and self-aware approach to creating their own music enshrines their own sense of authenticity. Being members of the African diaspora, Adenaike explains, further allows for that authenticity to come naturally.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200b\u200bWe exist within two worlds, two countries, two ways of living,\u201d he affirms. \u201cWe are British, but we\u2019re also African. I think that the struggle of identity has given birth to everything that we as a band are doing now.\u201d Existing in constant liminality as a Black Brit can be exhausting, but also rewarding. \u201cOut of hardship in terms of identity has birthed all of the incredible things Black British people are responsible for today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the Black British community, this generation\u2019s musicians have created a sound that is a seamless fusion of UK, African and Caribbean influences, while some genres, such as drill, Afro-swing and R&B, are seen as more recognisably Black British than others. Collectives like KOKOROKO, therefore, can sometimes slip through the cracks in such conversations, but the band aren\u2019t daunted by the prospect of being overlooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to preserve culture, but it\u2019s not that deep if most people don\u2019t get it,\u201d Adenaike says. After all, the band are confident that they\u2019ve already built up a dedicated fanbase over the past three years, and they don\u2019t want their existence to be used to undermine more popular Black genres. \u201cCulture can be weaponised,\u201d the guitarist continues. \u201cI think most of the time, people don\u2019t know how to celebrate something without weaponising it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Could We Be More\u2019 is the product of an ensemble determined to stay true to themselves. And, with live music very much back on the agenda, KOKOROKO can finally bring their multifaceted music to the masses. \u201cWe just work so well on stage together,\u201d Adenaike concludes. \u201cThere\u2019s just a vibe, an energy: it feels like home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Each week in Next Noise, we go deep on the rising talent ready to become your new favourite artist. With their long-awaited debut album ‘Could We Be More’, the London eight-piece flex their improvisatory muscles over a record which honours and celebrates jazz, West African and Black British music. Words: Timi Sotire<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":14426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,31],"tags":[7,14,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-14429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-music","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-music"},"yoast_head":"\n