Kotoa are a 5 piece band from Loughborough Junction, South East London, made up of drummer Laurie Campling, bass player Frank Black, keyboard player Sam Hillier, guitarist and vocalist Memphis Koloi & saxophonist and vocalist Maia Avery.
Having recently signed to Wah Wah 45s and with a forthcoming EP in the making, Kotoa bring a refreshing sound, blending political rhetoric, soulful melodies & heavy bass lines. Deeply influenced by dub, trip hop & the recent rise of African inspired jazz, Kotoa are a rising force in Brixton’s historic music scene and with their debut EP, Earthwise, in the works, the best is yet to come.
Following on from the success of their debut single, Higher Being, and their cover version of Fela Kuti’s Zombie, both of which were supported by Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 Music and Worldwide FM respectively, this exciting young outfit present their second original single, I Am. It’s a stirring, sonorous soul-jazz piece, centered around Maia Avery’s stunning vocal and sax work, amid tropical flavoured guitar lines, sparkling piano and a solid bass & drum back-beat.
Maia explains more about the song’s subject matter: “Ultimately this song is about being human, finding yourself shifting as the pendulum swings and the empowering journey of learning to be comfortable with who you are through the people and the world around you.”
Reactions & Radio Play
Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM), Kev Beadle (Totally Wired Radio), DJ Nelito (POwer FM), Aja Allsop (Ketch-A-Vibe, UK)
Shared by Bristol Funk – New Funk & Soul Weekly Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5dzNfCHZXWdQ7zhtLR6Xix
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“Great stuff.” Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music)
“Lovely stuff!” Kate Hutchinson (Worldwide FM)
“Nice One… Nice One!” Robbie Vincent (Jazz FM)
“Sweet and soulful! Yes!” DJ Soulist (Souleance, France)
“Nice urban Africanism.” For Mankind (Pikes, Ibiza)
“Very beautiful, soulful.” Ahu (Istanbul, Turkey)
“Lovely track!!” Jazzcat (Totally Wired Radio, UK)
“Dope!” Delfonic (BBE / GAMM, Germany)
“Lovely cool Afro-Caribbean groove.. lovely vocals! Me like it!!” Raj Selli (Solar Radio, UK)
“Instant joy and a vibe. Five star.” Dan Deep Tenor City (Soho Radio, UK)
“Smooth soulful vocal, jazzy soul goodness.” Ash Selector (Solar Radio, UK)
“Beautiful listening music.” Pedo Knopp (Dublab / Lazy, Germany)
“Another great band find from South London with an appealing sound!” Steve Johns (Solar Radio, UK)
“This is beautiful music! I’m looking forward to Kotoa’s forthcoming EP release.” Sven Thomschke (Radio Z 95.8FM, Germany)
“Cracking tune.” Simon Harrison (Basic Soul, UK)
“Lovely tune.” Olivier Cavaller (De La Bonne Musique, France)
“Thank you, absolutely wonderful!” Dusty (Jazz & Milk, Germany)
“Coool.” Tjerk Coers (Armada Music, The Netherlands)
“Beautiful track.” Leo Zero (Various, UK)
“Full support for this.” Michael Stukes (WHCR 90.3FM, USA)
“Nice track…” DJ Angola (Wonderwheel, USA)
“Beautiful track.” Robert Lochmann (Radio X, Germany)
“Beautiful music! All the instrumental solos are so lovely arranged. The song delivers a real team feeling from the band where everyone gets a chance to shine on this track, from the vocals to the piano, guitar and sax. The bassline is present throughout but hopefully we get a dirty solo in some future tracks. Lovely arrangement and looking forward to supporting. Thanks for the release.” DJ Nelito (Power FM, UK)
“Nice one!” Junior (Record Breakin’, USA)
“Fine track.” Ivan Mera (Higher Club, Spain)
“Such a beautiful work! Love it!” Eric Tchaikovsky (Night Light Radio Show, Ukraine)
“Very nice.” Rado Tomek (NuSpirit, Slovakia)
“Lovely! Will try and get to the GDS gig.” Steve KIW (1BTN, UK)
“Beautiful track!!!!” Markus Milz (Radio Corax 95.9FM, Germany)
“Feeling this – supporting on 1BTN, theface, TWR & more.” Lee Bright (Tangential Music, UK)
A beautiful smooth jazzy atmosphere and a smooth, precise rhythm section. It’s sweet like a little fruity candy, just slightly tangy. I’m adding this track to our playlists.” Laurent (La Grosse Tambouille, France)
“Gorgeous…” Dob Marzov (Radio Varna, Bulgaria)
“Amazing vibes.” Amar Kbouche (Fauve Radio, Hong Kong)
“This is adorable.” Aja Allsop (Ketch-A-Vibe, UK)
“Love it.” Enrique Domenech (CKUT 90.3FM, Canada)
“Lovely vibes from the youngsters.” DJ Snuff (universal Magnetic B Boy, UK)
“Nice one!” Karsten John (Vinyl Vibes, Germany)
“Very good… the voice is lovely.” Nigel Wood (Various, UK)
“Fantastic Future Forward looking. It’s the truth.” Gerry Hectic (You And The Music, UK)
“With fond memories of Loughborough Junction and the Loughborough Hotel, venue for some top quality nights, including playin a support slot for The Mekons and appearing at the legendary Mambo Inn. It’s not too surprising that the neighbourhood is capable of turning out top talent like Kotoa, hearing their second release from the label it’s becoming clear these guys will be a force on the UK music scene and, no doubt, beyond. Cool runnings topped-off with a gorgeous vocal and some luscious sub-Afrobeat rhythms.” Drummie Dave (Various, UK)
