Those Good Times: KOKOROKO Interviewed
KOKOROKO are an experience. Live, the band are a force to be reckoned with, that eight-strong line up blending afrobeat, jazz, and a whole lot more besides. There’s something incredibly natural and unforced to their playing, a band who simply radiate joy. 2022 brought their debut full-length ‘Could We Be More’, released on the ever-essential Brownswood imprint to no small degree of acclaim. Hitting the road, KOKOROKO’s itinerary has taken them from Brazil to Amsterdam, and closes with a show at London venue O2 Shepherds Bush Empire.
“Rehearsals are going well!” beams Sheila Maurice-Grey when Clash is patched through to her on the phone. The band take five in the background, the noise of instruments being packed away matched to the chatter of the rehearsal space. Looking to the hometown show, she’s a flurry of words and emotions: “Excited. Nervous. Nervous excitement!”
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Admitting she’s never actually been to the venue before, this is KOKORKO’s biggest ever UK show. The band have a radiance that perpetually shines outwards – right from the viral success of early track ‘Abusey Junction’, they seem able to speak to an audience far beyond the jazz hardcore. “It’s been an interesting journey, for sure,” she reflects. “This year has brought a fast, intense period of touring which is great, but has brought its own challenges.”
Each show from KOKORKOKO is carried along by a rapturous sense of excitement – the music is something that the audience intrinsically gets on a soulful level, whether they understand it technically or not. “It’s something we’ve had since we started. We always say it’s a congregational feeling. It’s like when you go to church, the musicians don’t have an ‘us’ and ‘them’ kind of thing. Everyone has to participate towards the experience.”
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Afrobeat and high life is a recurring influence on the current generation of London jazz musicians. There are familial connections there, for sure, but it’s also testimony to the ongoing community-led groups introducing young musicians to these sounds. Looking back, Sheila recalls going to afrobeat summer classes alongside Femi Koleoso (now of Ezra Collective), the tuba player Theon Cross, amongst others. “I remember the first time I went, being blown away by the experience of playing this music. It was amazing. It might sound odd for me to say this, but the experience of playing it almost became more powerful than the song itself. We grew up playing it.”
“It was a natural occurrence,” she points out. “And over time, it became a centre point of our music.”
Indeed, one facet of this young generation of London jazz musicians is how deep those relationships run. Just look at Tomorrow’s Warriors, the breeding ground for an internationally recognised squadron of jazz virtuosos. “I feel very lucky because most of us weren’t necessarily financially privileged, but we were culturally privileged to enjoy such a rich cultural experience at such a young age.”
KOKOROKO take this community ethos onstage with them. Every show is an event, because every show is different – they’re continually looking to engage, and to move outwards. “We try and keep it as interesting as possible. For Shepherds Bush, we’re going to reintroduce a few songs we haven’t done in a while, or maybe at all. We do little things to keep it interesting.”
For the musicians onstage, performing as part of KOKOROKO can be an intense experience. “There’s a lot of adrenalin,” she says. “But at times, it can be really serene. You get locked into the moment.”
“If you have that community feel, really responsive… not necessarily everyone dancing, but everyone really engaged. Giving it their all. It makes you try different things.”
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Trying new things is a hallmark of Sheila Maurice-Grey’s work so far. She recently performed on Stormzy’s acclaimed album ‘This Is What I Mean’, and the rapper himself stood in the control room to encourage her when she cut her take. Citing her admiration for his achievements, she marvels at “a really progressive album, one that pushed him far out of his comfort zone”.
Looking back on a year laden with highlights, Sheila Maurice-Grey highlights travel, and the cultural links that have been built between Brazil and London. “We literally just came back from Brazil, and that – for me – was a real highlight. Playing to a crowd of predominantly Black people, who really get, and understand, the music. Then we played Paradiso in Amsterdam, and people just seem to love us there! And obviously, any time we play London. To have your family and friends there, always makes it special.”
The multi-faceted aspects of Brazilian culture have become a pervasive influence on KOKOROKO. The group plan to write and record new material next year, and it seems a South American flavour could permeate those sessions. “Good weather, good food. Good people! It feels like a perfect environment for creating music.”
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KOKOROKO will play London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on December 1st.
Words: Robin Murray