With members spanning three decades and three continents, Afriquoi are a homage to a truly globalized 21st Century, one in which music has the power to transcend all of the artificial boundaries it is presented with – whether that be age or origin. The aim is to fuse African sensibilities with modern electronic dance music, a captivating blend of Gambian kora, Congolese guitar and Mandinka percussion styles with a constant eye on more club-oriented music.

I spoke at length with band member Jally Susso in an incredibly inspiring phone call that covered a range of topics, whilst constantly harking back to what it is that truly defines Afriquoi… The love of music. The love of fun. The passion to create something new, something exciting, something that will, above all else, fulfil the soul.

At the core of this band’s identity is a fervent desire to make uplifting dancefloor-friendly music for a new generation of world music fans and also to make something completely unique and authentic at the same time. Jally was keen to emphasise this:

“I think that’s the main aim. The main aim you know is to have one foot firmly in the club scene. It was a calculated thing, certainly not a mistake. When everything comes together it makes sense for it to be something completely different to what we were doing individually… That’s why this music is sounding the way it’s sounding, because we don’t want it to sound like any particular genre or anything that’s been there before. So we’re trying to look for something that is completely new or something that is authentic. You have Afrobeat, Afrojack… Afro-electronics… From 6 years ago to now you see lots of different ideas coming from people”

He talked very insightfully about the nature of Afriqoui’s sound, one that has begun to gain traction and form a concrete scene in the UK.

“This is a movement now. That’s why also it’s a movement that needs clarifying and people also understanding where things are going rather than just mishmashing it. Because if you’re doing something to sustain it or just tick boxes is something completely different.”

Based in London, Afriquoi is a UK-Afrosupergroup, with every musician a respected bandleader in their own right. Jally is joined by Fiston Lusambo, Andre Espeut, Oli Cole, André Marmot and Nico Bentley. When I ask him how everyone met it seems to be a very natural process. Nothing forced, everything free to transpire in its own time.

People here on British shores will undoubtedly be familiar with the guitar, synths, computerised elements and percussion that make up Afriqoui’s sound, but Jally’s instrument – the kora – may be a slightly less known element. I asked him for a quick lowdown on the instrument for people that may be unaware of exactly how it works:

“Kora is 21 strings, African harpflute. It’s very similar to the harp but I kind of don’t like giving that example because it’s own instrument. You can say okay it’s a balance between classical guitar and a harp, it's technically different to both but it more similar to the harp.”

Armed with two pickups and an array of effects pedal it has all it needs to compete with electric guitar, synths and percussion – both real and electronic – on stage. This is where things get truly exciting with Afriquoi. I saw them play Brixton Electric and it was one of the most genuinely uplifting experiences of my life. I asked Jally what the audience can expect:

“Party bro. You’ve seen it before. It’s a party. Expect the unexpected. When we play I think the most important thing is for us to have a good time. That is very important to us because when we have a good time everyone else is going to have a good time. If you can create the vibe on stage, that is very infectious, very easy for the audience also to join in.”

“I think people want to see an act that fulfils not only musically but visually as well so it’s like when the music is good now the visual also has to be good. If you see us just stand there and play you’re not going to feel the same thing. When all of these things are together it gives a completely different dynamic, it gives a more real feeling. You know you have that realness in the music. I think that is very crucial, that is what people”

He also talked with excitement about the band’s performance at Glastonbury’s famous West Holts stage:

"When we were doing our soundcheck there was literally like 10-15 people standing there, very very scary… we were all looking at each other like this is going to be so so dead. But we don’t even know where these people came from, but the place was packed! People couldn’t even move actually. I couldn’t understand it”

It’s surely no surprise, their music is captivating – even more so in a live setting. People would walk past the stage on their way to see something else and find themselves unable to leave, a testimony to a live show that is all about the vibe.

“For us the bottom line is to have fun. We have to fun. Because if we don’t have fun then there’s a problem. For me I don’t like playing music that I don’t enjoy. I am very funny like that, for me it's like you want me to do something? I am happy to do it but I need to be excited. All the boys know that about me, don’t kill my vibe you know? And everybody in Afriquoi is like that, it’s the vibe. The music is not only about the music its about the vibe because it’s the vibe that makes the music you know? That’s how you know it’s the vibe that makes the music, because music without vibes is nothing. It’s an empty shell my brother, it’s a completely empty shell”

It’s something that is at the centre of what Afriquoi do, a proper vibe and a proper soul. It’s also something that can go amiss in the present day.

“You see many people… they are just here for the money. It’s a formula that people follow, ABC kim cha kim kim cha da nanananna kim cha kim. Bro it’s kinda confusing you know? You know it’s kind of really confusing? You go to festivals and you listen to the music, you get pissed off! Because everything is ‘’’dumdumdumdumdum’’ and you’re like woah. Every stage you go things are kinda the same. So when we come on stage now people don’t go to the shows they were going to go to because they hear something they haven’t heard before. It’s like, yo I’m not going anywhere.”

The band certainly have a keen appreciation of where they are right now and where they would like to be in the future. From my talk with Jally I got the very real sense of a group constantly in evolution, constantly pushing for the next stage in their development.

“What keeps us where we are is what we are doing is not a carbon copy, we have not copied anyone we are not trying to copy anyone we’re constantly trying to do our thing. To make a thing very unique to the UK and to the rest of Africa. We are constantly refining our sound. What we say is people have not got the full sound of Afriqoui yet. In 2018 people will start to see our real colours, because again it takes us what 6 years to get to where we are at the moment? It is a journey that… I think the journey is getting more clarified to us. We are getting more clarification of what we tend to do and what we really want to do. You know because you find your way, and then when you find your way that’s when the job really begins. So we feel like our work has just begun.”

Of course, a lot of thought goes into the project, but at the same time what's behind the music is simple:

“It’s out of love. I think that’s the important thing for us. About love about unity, everything is coming from love and unity. If you discount that it's not natural anymore. It's not natural.”

“It’s the love man, it’s the love. We just want to do music and do what we love. That’s the bottom line here. Is that we’re doing what we love doing and intend to do for the rest of our lives you know? To constantly give people something that will excite their souls. We want people to come to our shows and have no problem and then come out and feel like they have no problems again. For us that’s what we want, that’s what we are working for.”

It’s certainly a wonderful goal to have, and one that, from experience, is something that Afriquoi are certainly good at attaining.

“We have lots of exciting things in the pipeline. We are working, we’re constantly working. Writing tons of music every month so its like… expect the unexpected. To be honest that’s the reality. The love we have for what we do and the individual relationships because this is a partnership. If we say Africa and Europe we sit in the middle. We are all equal partners. You know, we are people working together. It’s not like oh the African guy is having more force than the European guy or the other way around it's just the way it is.”

Towards the end of the conversation our focus turned to the upcoming show in Brighton, one Afriquoi are immensely looking forward too. It will be the first official show in the city, save for an appearance at The Great Escape last year, and one that the timing seems just right for.

“One thing I can tell you… We love our audience, they pay their money to come and see us. For somebody to pay their money, to give their time, to come and see us… that is special.”