Kokoroko are picking up where they left off.
Formed in 2014, the London collective built a formidable name in the UK and Europe with their fluent and energetic melding of jazz and African funk genres from Nigerian Afrobeat to Ghanaian Highlife.
After slaying festival audiences across the continent, the group released an eponymous 2019 EP that amassed more than 68 million streams on major music platforms.
Could%20We%20Be%20More
%3Cp%3EArtist%3A%20Kokoroko%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Brownswood%20Recordings%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The momentum only increased the anticipation surrounding debut album Could We Be More and, fortunately, for the most part, the group fulfilled its promise.
Led by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, the octet conjures up a vibrant 15-song set that harvests various influences from London to Lagos.
A sinewy Afrobeat groove carries Adwa, a strident piece punctured by the occasional thrilling horn explosion from saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi.
Tojo is a lovely marriage of past and future. The latter is supplied by Yohan Kebede's psychedelic keyboard riffs while the horn section, led by Maurice-Grey, delivers the kind of vintage arrangement recalling Fela Kuti.
Age of Ascent lives up to its esoteric title and finds the group slowing things down for a track cinematic in scope, while Eva Inu is a showcase for the group's lethal rhythm section of bassist Duane Atherley and drummer Ayo Salawu.
While largely instrumental, Could We Be More has a few vocal tracks.
The standout, Those Good Times, features a silky vocal by Maurice-Grey that takes the music towards neo-soul territory and provides an intriguing prospect on what direction Kokoroko can go next.
The smooth track also reveals the slight and niggling weakness running throughout Could We Be More, in that it can feel overproduced and doesn’t fully summon the energy of their pulsating live show.
This is best exemplified in War Dance, which despite its intention to be a rhythmic and sweaty number, seems too sanitised and polished to elicit the kind of primal dancing response seen when people see Kokoroko live.
That said, these are relatively minor gripes in what is a supremely assured debut album.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Could%20We%20Be%20More
%3Cp%3EArtist%3A%20Kokoroko%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Brownswood%20Recordings%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
