Bossaphonik Presents K.O.G.
Schedule
Fri, 18 Mar, 2022 at 09:00 pm to Sat, 19 Mar, 2022 at 02:00 am
Location
Cowley Workers Social Club | Oxford, EN
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Kweku Sackey aka K.O.G. (Kweku of Ghana) leads his 8 piece band playing modern Afro-fusion. The sounds of Afro-funk, soul, reggae, Afro-dancehall and hip hop are brought together into a dynamite exhilarating experience.Kweku is a multi-dimensional creative force combining exquisite writing skills with shamanistic live performance. A resident of Sheffield since coming to the UK in 2010, he and his band are ambasssadors for West African music in the North of England. Kweku is deeply aware of his heritage, he negotiates culturally both between Africa and Western influences, always being open to new innovations. He cites contemporary Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat artists Pat Thomas, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and Ebo Taylor as his early influences.
The band’s subject matters often draw on love, peace and social issues such as racism, rejection, inequality and exile - the often serious subjects are delivered in an irresistibly upbeat, rhythmic and joyous groove. Electric brass lines, thunderous percussion and sharp edge guitar join the whirlwind of energy from Jamaican rapper frontman Franz Von and Kweku’s massive vocal range with lyrics sung in English, Pidgin and Ga. Songs are rooted in Africa but the multicultural make up of this band give them a motto of “unity in diversity.”
In 2016 a previous incarnation of his band, The Zongo Brigade, made a top 3 finish out of 6000 bands in an emerging talent competition to earn a slot at Glastonbury Festival’s West Holt stage. Their music has since taken them to major stages at festivals and venues in 15 countries around the world and regular gigs in the UK. They released their debut LP “Wahala Wahala” on the eclectic French label Heavenly Sweetness.
Kweku is a regular collaborator with genius producer Tom Excell of Nubiyan Twist. He performed with Nubiyan Twist on BBC 2 on the Later with Jools Holland show in 2021 and they are both part of Afro-futurist project Onipa (due to play at Bossaphonik in May this year). In 2019 he and Tom Excell won the Young Commonwealth Performer of The Year award and performed for Nelson Mandela’s family in Melbourne. Kweku is also a two-time nominee for GH-UK Music Awards.
“Ghana’s finest” Jools Holland, Later with Jools Holland BBC1, March 21
Kweku has just released his first solo album under K.O.G. “Zone 6, Agege,” released on the Heavenly Sweetness label. This Bossaphonik gig is part of his UK tour promoting the album. It came out on 25h February 2022, check it out on the bandcamp page:
https://kogkwekuofghana.bandcamp.com/album/zone-6-agege
Check out a video of K.O.G. at The Jazz Cafe Camden;
And some live footage from the last time they played at Bossaphonik:
Following the live gig is a Bossaphonik club session with DJs Bossaphonik Dan and DJ Badger til 2am spinning:
Jazz Funk * Afrobeat * Latin Jazz * Brazilica * Cumbia * Global Hip Hop * Balkan Beats * Soul Jazz * Electro Swing * Future Soul * Nu Jazz Bizniz!
Friday 18th March
Bossaphonik Presents K.O.G.
Cowley Workers Social Club, Between Towns Road, OX4 3LZ (near Cowley shopping centre. Frequent Bus 1,5 or 10 from City Centre goes up Cowley Road, stops directly outside the venue, runs til 3am)
9pm – 2am
Live band starts at 10pm
£12 adv/ £12 student ID/ £15 door
Hope to see ya there!
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Where is it happening?
Cowley Workers Social Club, OX4 3LZ Oxford, UK, Oxford, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
Tickets
GBP 13.2
