In this episode, IMC’s Kenneth Killeen caught up with Segun Akano & Uché Gabriel Akujobi from Yankari Afrobeat Collective at The Sugar Club. They talked about what makes Afrobeat - the culture, rhythm, & message that’s essential to it, and about identity, and transforming identities bringing cultures together. We also got a great insight into Yankari’s creative process, and how they work together making music.

Die-hard Fela fans, Dublin-based band Yankari, aspire to advance the original Afrobeat genre by incorporating contemporary sounds, such as, jazz, funk, dance, rock-and-roll whilst keeping the traditional groove elements of Afrobeat. This new sound has world-wide appeal and the Yankari fan base stretches from Ireland to Japan, Brazil to Spain, Nigeria to the US.

Yankari founding members, brothers Segun and Michael Akano along with Uché Gabriel Akujobi, are originally from Nigeria and came together in Dublin while playing at various gigs around the city. Gradually through the love of music and rhythms from their Yoruba and Igbo cultures they created the groovy and energetic sound that is reminiscent of Afrobeat of the 60's and 70's but with a modern twist. That sound is called Yankari.

Find Yankari’s work on their website: https://yankarimusic.com/home

Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yankarimusic/, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yankarimusic/ or Bandcamp: https://yankari.bandcamp.com/

More of Segun’s music is on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/segun-akano He also gave a recent interview to Hot Press which you can read here https://www.hotpress.com/music/yankari-afrobeat-collectives-segun-akano-on-what-to-expect-from-tonights-sugar-club-show-22885040 and spoke to us about what Afrobeat is in a previous interview for Hotter than July which you can read here (including a playlist of Afrobeat essentials): https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/news/other-side-of-the-tracks-qa-with-segun-from-yankari-afrobeat-collective

You can find more of Gabriel’s music and acting work on his website http://uchegabriel.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/uchegabrielakujobi/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/uchegabriela

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Thanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness