Afriquoi

Formed in London in 2011, Afriquoi brings together six musicians whose backgrounds connect to Africa, the Caribbean and the UK in a project that fuses African musics with British electronic cultures. Afriquoi’s sound rests on the Gambian kora, Congolese guitar and Manding percussion, crossed with structures drawn from house, hip‑hop, soul, soca and jungle, resulting in dance music performed live. This combination gives Afriquoi an aesthetic that is both organic and rhythmic, built for both the stage and the club, and their work also exists as DJ sets accompanied by live percussion. The band developed on London stages before appearing at several European festivals, notably Glastonbury, WOMAD, Boomtown and Shambala. On record, Afriquoi released Kolaba in 2015, followed by Abobo Nation Part 1 in 2016, and the single Starship / Can I Know You in 2017, recorded with Shabaka Hutchings and Kakatsitsi. Since its beginnings Afriquoi has been evolving this blend of West African traditions, soukous guitar and electronic pulses without reducing it to a single register.