AGBEKO - A product of politics and Afrofunk

Formed in 2015, this 11-piece Afrofunk group have infiltrated Manchester’s iconic music scene with an unstoppable energy. Headed up by powerhouse vocals and layered with multiple brass instruments, drums and keyboard, the music inspired by the 1970’s African dance scene has graced the stages of festivals such as Boomtown, Tramlines and Green Man.

AGBEKO fuses together lyrics that narrate a political commentary, and the eclectic sound of jazz rock and funk, making them noticeably unique and relevant in today’s music industry. Having been hailed by music critics as “deeply danceable, lyrically poignant and importantly, identifiable” we wanted to find out more about this innovative band and how they came to be. We picked the brains of band member Jamie to give us the intel on his group…

AGBEKO all together for a photoshoot

Can you tell us a bit about the members?

There's 11 of us! We're all between 21 and 28, having met whilst studying at different stages of our degrees in Manchester. We have: Ellen on vocals; Illy, Dan, Caitlin and Jamie (myself) on horns; James on guitar; Al on Bass; Alex on keyboards; Matt and Pete on percussion; and Jon on drums. It's a big family!

How did you get together?

I arrived for a postgrad in Manchester and found myself utterly surrounded by excellent musicians! I've long loved the music of Fela Kuti, but it requires a big old band to do it justice. I got a whole group of new Manchester-based musical colleagues together for a gig playing arrangements of Fela tunes then began to write...and it's all just spiralled from there.

How did you decide on the name AGBEKO?

AGBEKO is a traditional Ghanaian war dance. It used to be performed shortly before going into battle - almost in the same context as a Haka in New Zealand. A great deal of the rhythms I use originate from Ghana and other parts of West Africa and both the dance, the accompanying music and the meaning behind it were captivating to me. With a band that size, it often feels like going in to battle every time you go up to play!

What is it like being based in Manchester? (because of the rich music history) How does inspire you?

I like Manchester a lot - there's always a lot going on and the cultural scene here is fiercely independent. It's impossible to rely on much media attention etc, as most eyes are still fixed on London. In a way, this acts to galvanise the entire scene to do things for themselves and it's impossible not to be swept up by that 'dig in and make it happen' spirit.

How would you describe the sound of your band?

I always end up using too many hyphens when describing any of the bands I'm in...which probably doesn't actually serve to clarify anything. The best way to think of it is afrobeat, afrofunk and ethiojazz at the core, but written by a guy who grew up in England in the 00's and used to write lots of rock songs. I think what comes out the other end is reflective of that mixture.

What sets you apart from others in the industry?

We aren't really in 'the industry' as such. We have no label, agent, PR, manager. The industry, to me, refers to all of that infrastructure that makes certain things happen for artists. We still fly solo, for the time being. Does that set us apart? I dunno. I think our size is noteworthy - we love being that massive band with all the stuff that still manage to get to some crazy places!

If someone were to listen to you for the first time, what song of yours would you recommend they start with?

Probably 'Leaders of the Free World'. It's shortish, punchy, catchy, has a funky trombone solo and reflect the band's political nature quite well. And you can buy it on vinyl! What's not to love?

Where did the inspiration for the song 'Hurt me so' come from?

That was the first tune I ever wrote for the band so it was very much about using very simple lyrical and instrumental ideas to see if I could could make it work! Sorry it's not some fruity bit of gossip or anything. I'm delighted to see that audiences still really love that tune though- it's had a much longer shelf life than I thought!

What was the inspiration behind the 'Remedy' video?

Videos like Cold War by Janelle Monae stood out to me, as did some live footage of FKA Twigs. The hexagon patterns are a reference to the Manchester Bee, and also a photoshoot we did a while back where we all sat in this giant beehive. All the band members in silhouttes is largely because none of us could guarantee that we'd look any good on camera!

How useful have social media and streaming services been to your success?

I think they can be. We've never been that active on Spotify (certainly no good at getting playlisted etc) and our social media presence is charming but not as mind-boggling constant as some acts seem to be. It's a nice way of staying in touch with people who really enjoyed the show, but I think we get more people along to our gigs than the size of our following online would suggest. Play well, mean what you do, be friendly, give it your all and it will happen.

Biggest achievement to date?

No idea. Every band member would have a different answer! Playing 4 overseas gigs last year was really special though. We've got to see some places I'd never have though this band would take me to!

Biggest influences?

Fela Kuti, Ebo Taylor, Mulatu Astatke, The Funkees, Oygatanaa Show Band, Antibalas, The Budos Band. Many more!

Best venue you’ve ever played?

In Manchester, we love going to Band on the Wall. The sound is good, the team are lovely and it suits what we do. We played this super cool warehouse in Milan called BASE Milano, which was great.

Where do you see yourselves in five years’ time?

In debt.

What legacy do you want your band to leave?

I want to keep writing music that I love, the band love and hopefully other people love. If the band fade to nothing at some point but those songs stay with people for years to come then that's me happy.

To read more about AGBEKO and listen to their music, visit their official site here.