Keziah Jones

On 22 October 2026 at Paloma in Nîmes, Keziah Jones will present his blufunk, that nervous blend of funk, soul, blues and afrobeat carried by a percussive guitar. Born in Lagos in 1968 and later living between Nigeria and England, he honed his playing in the streets and in London clubs before releasing Blufunk Is a Fact in 1992, the starting point of a singular trajectory. He followed with African Space Craft, Liquid Sunshine and Black Orpheus, and then Nigerian Wood in 2008, where he injected more wood and memories into his songs.

On stage he goes straight to the point: struck guitar, crisp syncopations, sharp chords, a supple voice that glides over the groove. He plays with space, taps the guitar body, stretches then tightens the tempo, alternating relaxed ballads with more electric surges. This concert at Paloma explores his repertoire between signature pieces and improvised interludes, with the busker’s energy running through it. The essence lies in this bare-handed playing and rhythmic writing that forged his identity.