Kokoroko comes to The Commodore Ballroom on June 21st! Get Your Tickets Now!

Kokoroko first formed in 2014 when Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet/flugelhorn/vocals) and
Onome Edgeworth (percussion) met on an arts trip in Kenya, bonding over their shared
tastes in music. A desire to connect young people in the African diaspora with genres like
Afrobeat and Highlife would also fuel the band’s genesis. Before long they were playing
gigs, riding a wave of the then nascent “London jazz scene”. In 2018, their breakthrough
was secured when the sparse ‘Abusey Junction’ was included on Gilles Peterson’s ‘We Out
Here’ compilation. An understated 7 minute ballad recorded in an afternoon, it quickly
became a viral hit racking up 75 million streams.
The next few years were spent touring extensively, work-shopping their music and
perfecting their sound. In 2019 they self-released their debut EP in 2019, selling over 20,000
copies on vinyl, before having its momentum halted by the pandemic. In 2022, after much
heightened anticipation, and with the help of producer Miles James (Little Simz, Yussef
Dayes, Tom Misch), they released their debut album ‘Could We Be More’. A sinewy blend of
afrobeat, highlife and jazz, the album scored platitudes from The Guardian, The Telegraph,
Financial Times, CRACK Magazine and plethora of others. The album would also land a top
40 placement on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 30.
Its resulting success parlayed into an extensive number of touring and festival dates across
Europe, Australia, and Canada. Now a decade into their existence, the ensemble who also
consists of Anoushka Nanguy (vocals/trombone), Ayo Salawu (drums), Duane Atherley
(bass), Tobi Adenaike-Johnson (guitar) and Yohan Kebede (keys) are in a place where
they’ve done their bit in contributing to a necessary course correction for the scenes they
sought to revitalise. And as such, feel ready to sonically expand their horizons.
The first major artistic leap from the confines of being called a “London Jazz Band” came
with ‘Could We Be More Remixes’. Featuring contributions from KeiyaA, Ash Lauryn, Stefan
Ringer, Vanyfox and Hagan, the original songs were re-imagined through a club lens.
Allowing the band’s music for the first time to cross into the worlds of afro-house,
amapiano, Detroit house, future bounce and techno.
Kokoroko’s artistry has matured to a place that’s now largely representative of the musical
melting point and wide range of tastes that comes as Londoners in the black diaspora. It’s
this precise notion and the sense of London as an overarching anchor that informs the crux
of their forthcoming second studio album ‘Tuff Times Never Last’.
Set for release on July 11

th via Brownswood Recordings, ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ is a body
of work that holds space for the many dualities that occur in life. A testament to resilience,
joy and the retainment of child-like innocence in the face of adverse circumstances.
“Although we’re reflecting on joy and celebration, you realize a lot of that beauty comes out
of challenges and difficulties. Even in memory, the times that were tough tend to sweeten
up” Edgeworth says of the story behind the album’s title.