Dele Sosimi is the Afrobeat Ambassador to the UK: an expert purveyor of dance music, a keys player of high renown, and a bona fide member of the style’s past, present and future. This is the very soul of Afrobeat – the sound of radical rebellion against political power, putting words to injustice and denouncing its creators through a complex web of funk grooves, Nigerian traditions and jazz sensibility.

Hackney-born and Lagos-raised, Dele gained his formative musical education as part of Fela Kuti’s legendary Egypt 80 band. He quickly gained a reputation as the premier keys player in Afrobeat, and went on to collaborate closely with Femi Kuti and the heartbeat himself, Tony Allen. Over a 40 year career, Dele has worked with musicians from across the worlds of Latin, electronica, jazz and hip-hop, flying the unmistakable flag of Nigerian music far and wide and encouraging a new generation of British musicians into the Afrobeat fold.

For The World’s Music at Oxford, Dele Sosimi presents his Afrobeat Quintet, stripping the style down to its core and laying bare its intricate rhythmic interplay, jazz-informed harmonies and pure groove. Keys, trombone, bass, percussion, drums, words, movement, colour, spirit, fury, wisdom, joy. This is fire for the heart, the head and the legs – don’t miss out!

The doors will open at 6:30pm and the performance will start at 7pm.

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The World’s Music at Oxford is a project run and supported by St John’s College at the University of Oxford, which blends research into global musics with live performance. Our events take place at our location at St John’s College and are free and open to all. Find out more on our website: theworldsmusicatoxford.com