Kokoroko at Pohoda 2022
You can look forward also to afrobeat at Pohoda 2022, performed by the London band Kokoroko. The winners of the Band of the Year category at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and Urban Music Awards became popular thanks to the compilation We Out Here. Clearly most distinctive of the selection of contemporary London jazz bands is the poetic song “Abusey Junction” by the, until then, relatively unknown band Kokoroko, which immediately sky-rocketed and now is reaching 100 million hearings on Spotify and YouTube. At the beginning of 2019, they released an eponymous EP, which was also brought to attention by The Guardian and The Line of the Best Fit. Last year they added dance singles “Baba Ayoola” and “Cary Me Home” and just yesterday they announced a new piece “Something's Going On”. The ethereal song with a twinkling promise of a new era is a teaser for the upcoming album, and this all-star band will delight with it the visitors to the Trenčín airport in just five months.
09. February 2022
The name of the band means “to be strong” in the language of the Nigerian tribe Orobo. Kokoroko is a group of excellent musicians coming from the London jazz community. The band reflect the rich history hidden in the genome of their musical role models and roots, both in topics and performances. However, it’s not just a musical tribute to artists such as Fela Kuti or Tony Allen, it is an effort to bring a new conception of afrobeat accessible to the present generation. Kokoroko mix West African gospel music, jazz, classical music and the sounds of London's nightlife. In addition to their love for music, what drives them forward is an effort to prevent the gradual dying out of afrobeat “highlife” parties. Rhythm plays a dominant role in their performance, both in solos and improvisations. They don’t try to make their songs sound perfectly smooth, but rather as music at real parties with all the dirt and energy that goes with it. These claims have already been confirmed at events such as Glastonbury, Meltdown Festival, Jazz, and Vienne, and now it is Pohoda’s turn to enjoy.