KOKORIKO

World / Jazz / Experimental

Manchester, United Kingdom

Billboard

Kokoriko is the brainchild of Serge Tebu (keyboards, vocals and composition) and Martin Milner (guitars, flute and composition) who met at Community Arts Northwest in 2007. Although Serge was born and raised in Cameroon and Martin in the UK they discovered a mutual love of jazz and formed Kokoriko to explore it, with kindred spirits Zac Sargent on percussion (UK), Pat Mackman on drumkit (D R Congo), and Alan Smith on bass and cello (UK). With beautiful visuals designed by Iranian artist Banafsheh Bahrami they aim to use music and art to engage and inspire all people wherever they are from. Kokoriko's music reflects their passion for roots music from across the world put through the jazz blender. You get Egyptian melodies riding over a Latin groove, reggae mixed with English folk, or Miles Davis-influenced voicings dropped onto ancient Afro-Cuban beats. Original, daring and often celebratory, they prove that music has the power as an international language to cross borders and underline our shared humanity.