Trinity Laban presents: Sounds from West Africa

Celebrate West African music in an extraordinary event featuring Dele Sosimi, Ola Akindipe and Nathan Dawkins.

Kicking off the night, electric and double bass student Nathan Dawkins and his band will journey through Afro-infused jazz and R&B, taking influence from his both his African mentors and African music across the world.

They will be followed by the inimitable Dele Sosimi, who will lead a band comprised of Trinity Laban popular music and wind, brass and percussion students, performing Afrobeat classics and new compositions. Dele is well known as one of the leading Afrobeat musicians in the UK. Starting his career as a member of Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 in 1979, he has gone on to work with Fela’s son Femi and other legends in the scene, from Tony Allen to Lucky Ranku. His 2015 album ‘You No Fit Touch Am’ on Wah Wah 45’s garnered critical and popular acclaim and provides a musical representation of Dele’s strong socio-political opinions, as well as delivering classic songwriting that could have come straight out of 1970s Lagos.

Finishing on a high, alum Isreal Olaoluwa Akindipe, popularly known by friends as ‘Olamony’, presents his band Ola + The Amalgam, whose signature Afro-fusion style merges strong rhythmic drive, punchy horns, Latin-inflected piano and thought-provoking lyrics. Olamony was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria where he grew up listening to his heroes, Yinka Ayefele, Fela Kuti, Angelique Kidjo, to name a few. The band is proudly multinational which reflects in their unique sound, energy and groove.