Shakatak

Formed in London in 1980, Shakatak sits at the crossroads of jazz-funk, fusion, post-disco, and a soul and smooth jazz spectrum, driven by highly legible melodies, front-and-center keyboards, and a flexible collective approach blending groove, jazzy harmonies, and sung choruses. The group initially formed around Bill Sharpe, Roger Odell, Nigel Wright and Keith Winter, before stabilizing a lineup marked by Jill Saward on vocals and George Anderson on bass. Shakatak emerged in the early 1980s with the singles 'Easier Said Than Done' (1981) and 'Night Birds' (1982), tracks that establish its identity between danceable instrumentals, blended vocal textures, and sophisticated production. The album Night Birds was released in 1982, followed by Down on the Street in 1984, a period when the band moved across both pop and jazz stages. Over the decades, Shakatak has built a prolific discography, notably Da Makani (1988), Open Your Eyes (1992), Full Circle (1997), and Across the World (2011), while maintaining a steady live presence in Europe and Japan. Remaining active with an historic core led by Bill Sharpe, Jill Saward, Roger Odell and George Anderson, Shakatak continues to evolve a fluid, urban, and melodic aesthetic.