Kokoroko

Jazz is today’s punk. For several years now, London’s music scene has been driven by a new generation of jazz musicians – artists who refuse to be boxed into a single genre and aim straight for both the heart and the dance floor. After all, music can be moving and danceable at the same time. Kokoroko were the first name from this generation to score a genuine hit. “Abusey Junction” (2019) is a stunning seven-minute instrumental that former guitarist Oscar Jerome conjured effortlessly in Gambia. Kokoroko is deeply African at heart. The group took shape during a musical immersion journey through Kenya by band leaders Sheila Maurice-Grey and Onome Edgeworth. The septet set out to connect the African diaspora with genres such as Nigerian afrobeat and Ghanaian highlife. The name comes from Urhobo, a language spoken in southern Nigeria.