Kokoroko
Kokoroko | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Jazz, Afrobeat |
| Members |
|
| Website | kokorokomusic |
Kokoroko is a London-based septet led by Sheila Maurice-Grey and Onome Edgeworth playing a fusion of funk and High Life.[1][2][3] In February 2019 they were named "ones to watch" by The Guardian, after their track "Abusey Junction" garnered 57 million views on YouTube.[4] 'Abusey Junction' won Track of the Year at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards in 2019.[5]
In February 2020 they won Best Group at the Urban Music Awards.[6] In September 2020 they played BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.[7] Their name is an Urhobo word meaning "be strong" or “hard to break.”[8]
They released their debut album Could We Be More in August 2022.[9] The Guardian named it one of the top ten albums of the year. [10] Also in 2022, the band were nominated for Band of the Year at the Jazz FM Awards.[11]
Their second album, Tuff Times Never Last will be released 11 July 2025.[12]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [13] | ||
| Could We Be More |
|
30 |
| Tuff Times Never Last |
|
References
- ^ Hewett, Ivan (8 September 2020). "Kokoroko, Proms Live 2020, Royal Albert Hall, review: the band was delightful, but jazz needs an audience". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Kokoroko: "Jazz & Afrobeat Shouldn't Stay Within Our Parents' Generation"". OkayAfrica. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "KOKOROKO: The Jazz Group Honouring Afrobeat And The Sounds Of London". Clash Magazine. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Ones to watch: Kokoroko". the Guardian. 23 February 2019.
- ^ Peterson, Gilles (12 February 2019). "Worldwide Awards 2019 Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "2020 Urban Music Awards winners announced". Urban Music Awards. 18 February 2020.
- ^ "KOKOROKO". BBC Proms.
- ^ Sotire, Timi (8 August 2022). "KOKOROKO: "If we don't play this music, then a piece of our culture is lost"". NME. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Empire, Kitty (7 August 2022). "Kokoroko: Could We Be More review – a debut of easy-going beauty". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ Fordham, John (30 December 2022). "The 10 best jazz albums of 2022". The Guardian.
- ^ "Jazz FM Awards".
- ^ Staff, SPIN (10 April 2025). "Kokoroko Hang 'Tuff' On Upcoming LP". SPIN. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Kokoroko | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2022.</refRyan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 171.