The Confluence LP

Dele Sosimi is the UK based Afrobeat ambassador, the former rhythm keyboarder for Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 and cofounder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force. On his new album, alongside British musician Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, he seeks pastures new on this later-life musical renewal, exploring the soulful side of jazz, r'n'b, funk and of course never far from his learned, life-partner, Afrobeat.

Having released anEPtogether early last year, Dele and Sam's journey continues, teaming up with various British musicians, for what is at times eccentric, yet constantly life-affirming record brimming with feelings of freedom and possibility.

To some it will come as no surprise that Dele Sosimi has crafted an album that is far-removed from the polyrhythmic intensity Afrobeat is known for. It was the drummer Tony Allen, the indisputable rhythm section of the Afrobeat genre and original member of Africa 70 who Dele refers to as "an uncle to me" who was a great influence on Dele in those early years. Tony would encourage him, on his trips to The Shrine to perform with The Positive Force, to explore the world outside of Afrobeat. And so he did.

Dele spent 7 years in Fela's artistic and infamous commune Kalakuta Republic between 1979 & 1986 where not only was he given responsibility to train the new recruits to Fela's Egypt 80 band (when the band went overseas on tour, often there were no-shows on the return flight), he also oversaw the band and The Shrine, whilst Fela was detained in prison. With Femi Kuti, he recruited and toured extensively with The Positive Force, which had a huge influence on the international insemination of Afrobeat music. And it was during these highly creative, intense and often chaotic years that he found his calling as a teacher, a passion and philosophy that he continues practising and following today. It was also during this period, in Kalakuta Republic that Dele became educated in the music of Fats Waller, Wayne Shorter, Grant Green, Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, with the DJs playing 24 hours a day in the commune, shaping his world view on music.

Indeed, it was in London 2013 that Dele was introduced to Sam Duckworth, the producer and co-collaborator onThe Confluence, at Felabration, an event and commemoration of the music of Fela Kuti. Nearly ten years passed before the two musicians connected in Sam's hometown of Southend-On-Sea (UK) in a post-lockdown creative boom, recording the first EP over a burst of week-long sessions in 2021. AfterThe ConfluenceEP was released to much fanfare in early 2023 (and BBC 6 Music playlist), the two musicians realised that there was still plenty to put to tape, creativity was still oozing and thus the initial idea of a few tracks soon led to the idea of a fully-fledged album project.

The Confluence LPis an amalgam of wonky, piano paved pop with catchy and jazzy refrains, some galloping Afro rhythms and the deep baritone voice of Dele Sosimi. Previous singles include the BBC 6 Music playlistedMo Se B'ólá tán,the horn heavyẸ Si M'ẹ̀dọ̀andFor the Love of It, a song about enjoying what you do for a living, which perfectly surmises the album's motivation,"Whatever you do for the love of it, keep doing it for the love of it".The Confluencefeatures UK percussion royalty in Snowboy alongside other top UK players including Alfa Sackey (percussion), Callum Green (drums), Philip Van Den Brandeler (bass), Pete Fraser (sax), Sam Eagle (voice & guitar) and Lizzy Dosunmu (vocals) and of course Sam Duckworth playing various instruments.

Since returning back to settle in the UK from Nigeria in 1995, Dele has continued his music expanding reach, without limits. In London, he's forged a close relationship with DJ Dom Servini and his Wah Wah 45s label and regularly collaborates with bands and producers, in need of a touch of original Afrobeat authenticity. In recent years he's collaborated with Prince Fatty, Onipa (Real World), Newen Afrobeat and had his work remixed by the likes of house legends Joe Claussell & Timmy Regisford, Detroit Swindle, Medlar and DJ Khalab..,the list goes on. Dele has an experimental group that works around Afrobeat improvisation and the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra continues to make strides, astounding worldwide audiences, with its powerful big band sound, channelling those early experiences working with Fela Kuti.

Sam Duckworth, the producer and mainstay on this new recording, has been releasing music as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly for half of his life. A catalogue that includes four top 40 singles, two top 40 albums (including the gold certified 'Chronicles of A Bohemian Teenager' that recently celebrated its 15th anniversary), a German club number 1 single and collaborations with artists ranging from Shy FX, Baaba Maal, Lily Allen and Jehst. Recently, Duckworth produced Benjamin Frances Leftwich's album 'To Carry A Whale' and has been working on the forthcoming album by Kate Nash.

All tracks produced and Mixed by Sam Duckworth

All tracks written by Dele Sosimi, Sam Duckworth and the Estuary 21