Bask in the artistic stylings of the afrobeat legend who played keyboard for Fela Kuti.
DELE SOSIMI
Dele Sosimi, the Nigerian-British Afrobeat Ambassador, Musician and Educator, has been at the heart of the global Afrobeat scene since relocating to the UK in December 1995. Having started his musical career with Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 band in his teens, he then teamed up with childhood friend Fela's son Femi Kuti (back in the late eighties) to kick start the Positive Force - touring, recording and performing worldwide.
Over forty years later, he remains a tireless ambassador for the unique musical movement all over the world. His blend of complex funk grooves, traditional Nigerian music, African percussion and an underlying sense of jazz combines with his virtuoso keyboard skills and rhythmic singing to make him one of the most respected Afrobeat authorities of his era.
Hackney-born and UK-based Dele has performed all over the planet, from the Montreux Jazz Festival to Mawazine Festival in Rabat Morrocco; Ollin Khan in Mexico, South Korea and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Dele was also Afrobeat music consultant for the National Theatre's production of Fela!, often performing with fellow-pioneer Tony Allen.
Dele’s pioneering musicality has also spawned collaborations with an impressive range of artists, including Estuary 21 (Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly), electronic artists Medlar and Qness, the afro-latin Cubafrobeat, Lokkhi Terra, and Eparapo, led by DSAO bassist, composer and producer Suman Joshi. These collaborations have spawned an impressive discography, ranging from his solo album "You No Fit Touch Am" to the brand new LP ‘The Confluence’ with Estuary 21.
REN AND FRIENDS
In launching herself as Ren, a name extracted from her name Keren and in alignment with the splendid fairywren songbird, Ren believes she has captured her essence and her gift into one easily identifiable brand. By day she earns a living working in the corporate world and by night she invests in her music and performance by rehearsing, performing and part time study, most recently at ICMP London, where she studied production and songwriting. Ren has set herself the ambitious goal to release her debut EP mid-2025, and an album at the end of 2025.
Ren’s story is one of resilience, passion, and a bold pursuit of her dreams. British Nigerian, and raised in Hertfordshire, Ren’s love for music was ignited at a young age. Ren's early resume is impressive and definitely indicative of her direction of travel. She attended a Christian school, where she sang praise and worship songs during assemblies, studied music for her GCSE’s, and as lead in school talent shows. She also conducted a choir of 40 students in a musical. In the process Ren learned piano, taught herself guitar, and immersed herself in music on the radio, more specifically, Smooth Radio classics as well as folk, pop and ballads.
Ren’s passion for music grew as she wrote original songs for school carol services, and she honed her singing and performing talents by attending Stagecoach and Sylvia Young Theatre School. Ren stepped outside her comfort zone by sharing her first mashup on YouTube and went on to create a Bridgerton-inspired instrumental, which garnered support and recognition for her guitar playing and creative arrangements. While on a university placement year in the United States of America, Ren won a talent show. Once back in the UK, Ren took a leap of faith and released two tracks (under a different name) that caught the attention of BBC introducing. This was all the encouragement that Ren needed to remain relentless in her bid to share her songwriting, singing, and playing because according to Ren, "her heart belongs to music."
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