KOKOROKO

London-based afrobeat collective KOKOROKO brings together several instrumentalists from the British jazz scene around trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey. Formed in the mid-2010s amid the buzz of south London clubs and jam sessions, the ensemble developed a sound dominated by brass, driven by rhythms inspired by Nigerian afrobeat, West African highlife and jazz rooted in improvisation. The group came to attention in 2018 with the instrumental track "Abusey Junction", featured on Brownswood Recordings' compilation "We Out Here", which highlighted a new generation of London musicians. A self-titled EP followed in 2019, also on Brownswood, establishing a sound that blends slow melodic lines, choral brass sections and guitars with afro accents. The album "Could We Be More", released in 2022, extends this aesthetic by opening the writing more to vocals, soul influences and more contemplative atmospheres, while retaining the collective, danceable character of their live compositions.