Hiroko’s Selection: Kaidi Akinnibi
Kaidi Akinnibi is a young saxophonist who has shaped the United Kingdom’s sound for the last few years. Many fans may know his name from his guest appearance on Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes' 2020 hit.
Here in Japan, The Sounds Of Afrotronica (2021), released under the joint name of NK-OK and Akinnibi -both members of Blue Lab Beats- has also become a hot topic and helped the a duo made a name for themselves during their visit to Japan at the end of 2022. On this album, Kaidi Akinnibi presents a lively, contemporary blend of jazz and afrobeat, including a cover of Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa. Akinnibi also participated in the recording of London’s post-rock band, Black Midi, and has become an indispensable presence in the UK's cutting-edge music.
Akinnibi in Coachella with Black Midi · Photo: Atiba Jefferson vía Kaidi Akinnibi’s Instagram.
In February 2023, Akinnibi led his own band to perform at the 606 Club in London. A quintet with Jordan Tait on guitar, Jamal Wilson on keyboard and synthesizer, Klein Sserwadda on bass, and Nico Saggese on drums. The composer is not only a lead player, outstanding at tenor saxophone and alto clarinet, he also showed us his vocals and played the guitar on this stage, demonstrating his versatile talent as a multiplayer.
The band consistently follows a texture-heavy flow, with guitars and synths, Akinnibi’s vocals and chorus featuring Jordan, delicately crafted a laid-back soundscape. At the same time, back vocals created variety of developments to songs that emphasize the melody.
“I was able to feel Kaidi Akinnibi’s real sound. He will undoubtedly become one of the most relevant artists representing the UK music scene in the near future. It was a pleasure to be able to fully enjoy this show on Oh!Jazz”.
Kaidi Akinnibi is recognized for being a saxophonist who is capable of mixing sounds of various genres such as hip-hop, R&B, jazz, electronica, and afrobeat, but he is also an artist who creates songs with meticulous composition. This Oh! Jazz live performance was an innovative show where we could appreciate his individuality and foresee the his brilliant future. I was able to feel his real sound, and I’m sure that he will undoubtedly become one of the most relevant artists representing the UK music scene in the near future. It was a pleasure to be able to fully enjoy this show on Oh!Jazz.
The venue, 606 Club in London, was started by flute/saxophonist Steve Rubie. A jazz club with a history of more than 40 years. Founded in 1976, it was originally a small venue of about 30 seats, now it has established itself as a live house that musicians love and trust, and has since grown to attract more than a hundred people. In order to support the local scene, they have formed a partnership with the Royal Academy of Music to actively book and promote musicians. Rubie himself is leading a Latin jazz band called Samara, and I'm always looking forward to the 606 Club line-up, which always feature interesting, varied artists, from historic UK veterans to cutting-edge artists like Kaidi.
—Hiroko Otsuka is a music journalist, DJ and producer.