Keziah Jones

On April 2, 2027 at the Bikini in Ramonville, Keziah Jones unveils his blufunk, that clear blend of blues, funk and pop carried by a percussive guitar and a supple voice. Born in Lagos, Olufemi Sanyaolu grew up between traditional choirs that filled the house and the vinyls of Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass and Sly Stone. From this mosaic emerged a nomadic sound, faithful to his Nigerian roots without being confined by them. On stage, he strikes the strings like a drum, establishes a dry, syncopated groove, alternates stripped-down songs with Afro pulses, sometimes drifts into spoken-word, then kicks back into gear with nervy riffs. Inventor of blufunk yet always ready to challenge it, he blends signature tracks and new material, variations and detours, with that right-hand technique that is his trademark. No showboating, a direct energy and songwriting that looks as much to Lagos as to London. At the Bikini, Keziah Jones continues his pursuit of a free groove, between heritage and the present.