Afro Soul Stories

Trinidad-born steel pan virtuoso Leon Foster Thomas joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk about taking the steel pan into jazz — from San Fernando, Trinidad to Lincoln Center, Moscow and Siberia. We get into the stories behind his four albums, from What You Don't Know… to Calasanitus, writing "I Am An Immigrant" on a scrap of paper after watching the news, painting the Gu...

South London bassist, violist and composer Genevieve Namazzi joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk about the path from childhood violin lessons to leading her own jazz quartet. She shares how the viola gave her a home in classical music through Chineke! Orchestra, how university turned her into a bass player out of demand, and how Tomorrow's Warriors and Gary Crosby OBE helped her...

Ghanaian-Filipino alt-pop artist Anabel Rose joins Afro Soul Stories to talk about bringing pop to an Afrobeats city, and the song that told her to quit her 9-to-5. In Accra in 2022, fresh out of university and working in marketing, Anabel started taking a pop-rock song to open mics where everyone else was performing Afrobeats and hiplife. She thought nobody would want to hear it. Instead, people...

Artist Akadi Sankofa, who records as Trees with Roots, joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk Afrofuturism, hip-hop, funk and his new EP, Black to the Future. Akadi breaks down what Afrofuturism means to him and takes us inside the world of the new record: Gabriel Rose, Dark Matter, the melanin aliens and a journey through "space and rhyme". He traces his inspirations from Nas...

What does home mean when your music has carried you across three continents? Cameroonian balafonist, composer and music educator Obase-Aboli joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk highlife, belonging and the business of music. Obase-Aboli's journey runs from Cameroon to Abu Dhabi, Ghana and now the UK. He explains how he plays two balafons side by side — one tuned for the "whit...

Steelpan artist, composer and educator Damoi Morgan joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to explore the remarkable history and evolution of the steel pan. Born in Brooklyn with Trinidadian and Jamaican roots, Damoi reflects on his journey from school music rooms in New York to research and performance across Senegal, South Africa and London. We discuss the steel pan’s transformation from an i...

Gbogboade joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to discuss his journey from Nigeria to the UK and the evolution of his distinctive sound. Born in Port Harcourt and shaped by Lagos, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist blends Neo Soul, Afro Fusion and downtempo influences into music that feels intimate, reflective and entirely his own. We explore his growth as an artist, the 2025 EP...

What if the music you love most — Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Afrobeats, Amapiano — all came from the same place? Ethnomusicologist and author Doye T. Agama joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to trace the real history of West African music — from ancient traditions to global dominance, and how it survived, travelled across continents, and came back transformed. Doye's book The Sound That Would...

Kwame Yeboah is one of Ghana's most accomplished musicians, producers, arrangers and musical directors. From his roots in western Ghana, through studies in Denmark, to an international career working with artists including Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Craig David, Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Sola Akingbola and many more, his journey spans decades of creativity across Africa, Europe and beyond. In th...

Wanlov the Kubolor has spent nearly two decades making albums most artists wouldn't touch — one about illegal gold mining years before it became a national crisis, one about Ghana's anti-LGBT politics, a whole catalogue of "card" albums each tackling a different piece of social commentary. In this episode, Sewor Okudzeto sits down with the Ghanaian-Romanian rapper, producer and f...

In this special tribute episode, we honour the life and legacy of Ebo Taylor — Ghanaian guitarist, composer, and one of the founding architects of highlife and Afrobeat music. Ebo Taylor passed away on 7th February 2026, aged 90, leaving behind six decades of music that shaped the sound of an entire continent. We sit down with Kweku Aacht, representative of EBOFEST — the international festival ded...

From Lagos to the Grammys: Tempoe on Afrobeats, Global Hits & Creative Growth | E24 Grammy-nominated Afrobeats producer Tempoe joins Afro Soul Stories for an in-depth conversation on his journey from Lagos to the global stage. Best known as the producer behind the worldwide hit “Love Nwantiti” — a record that has generated billions of streams — Tempoe shares the story behind his rise, his crea...

In this episode of Afro Soul Stories , I sit down with author and musician Antonio Michael Downing, also known as John Orpheus, to explore the story behind his book Black Cherokee . We dive into themes of identity, migration, and what it means to live between Trinidad and Canada—navigating multiple cultures while forming a sense of self. Antonio reflects on how storytelling becomes a way of unders...

In this episode of Afro Soul Stories, we speak with Nigerian percussionist and two-time Grammy Award winner Lekan Babalola. From growing up in Lagos and connections to the world of Fela Kuti, to collaborations with artists such as Ali Farka Touré, Roy Ayers and Cassandra Wilson, Babalola reflects on a remarkable musical journey. We also discuss his latest project, The Sacred Arts of Odu Ifa, explo...

In this special episode of Afro Soul Stories, we speak with London-based saxophonist David Kayode about the release of his EP Ade Kayode. The conversation explores the musical influences behind the project, his creative process as an artist, and how African rhythm and jazz continue to shape the evolving sound of the London music scene. An insightful artist profile and EP special exploring music, i...

Afro Soul Stories returns with a powerful conversation and impromptu live session featuring Senegalese artist Rijal Chakur, a multi‑talented singer, guitarist and bandleader blending Senegalese spiritual music with modern Afro‑soul grooves. From Dakar to London, Rijial Chakur has been building a unique sound with The Chakurs Band, fusing heritage rhythms, soulful melodies and contemporary influenc...

In this episode of Afro Soul Stories , UK artist Razor talks real life, creative growth, and what touring the UK has taught him. From new music to award wins and staying consistent in the long game, this is an honest conversation about longevity and purpose.

Ahnansé (Steam Down) on Collective Consciousness & Global Music | Afro Soul Stories E19In this episode of Afro Soul Stories, host Sewor Okudzeto sits with Ahnansé, founder of Steam Down, to unpack how music, community, and collective consciousness collide in London’s jazz and Afro-diasporic underground. Ahnansé explains the vision behind Steam Down — a live band, weekly London event, and cultu...

Zimbabwean born Nandi is one of the freshest and most soulful artists to come out of the UK. Inspired by South African musical heroes such as Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba and Hugh Masekela she began to write her own songs. Her dynamic and graceful voice is known to silence crowds, whilst gracing the stage of venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, The Roundhouse and The Southbank Centre. Performances have b...

Mide Johnson, is both a musician and Human rights Lawyer from Nigeria , who spent time in Geneva and now resides in London where he is pursuing his PHD, in this conversation we explore diaspora engagement, identity, and his path as both a human rights lawyer and creative.

Coco Mbassi was born in Paris and originates from Cameroon. Her music is a blend of African roots, classical music, jazz and gospel, with the feel of acoustic soul. A winner of several music awards including the Radio France Internationale Découvertes Contest in 1996, the German World Music CD Critics Award in 2001, she was one of the two finalists for the BBC World Music Awards in 2002. She toure...

Alizee Ndiaye , Born in the south of France to Senegalese and Italian parents , is an Interdisciplinary creative whose work bridges cultures, disciplines, and generations. After moving to London in 2016, she began her creative journey in 2019, driven by a desire to create space for underrepresented voices. That same year, Alizée founded DTMH (Don’t Touch My Heritage),a platform dedicated to uplift...

Donovan Haffner, winner of the 'Jazz Newcomer' category at the Jazz Parliamentary Awards 2025 is a south-east London born and bred alto saxophonist. Donovan's debut album Alleviate is a vitally exciting contemporary jazz recording, that reflects Donovan Haffner's burgeoning talent in a glowing light. This essential body of work will undoubtedly position the young musician as a risi...

Boy Nash is a creative writer and performer with Ghanaian heritage who grew up in both London and Accra, he specialises in the fusion of spoken word, rap, and poetry. The purpose of Boy Nash's music is to inspire, motivate and help people achieve their goals and aspirations.

M3NSA ( born Bondzie Mensa Ansah ), producer, musician, performer, and filmmaker.  Known for his recognizable sound and instinctual storytelling while still deeply rooted in his motherland, Ghana, he has grown into an international act because of his ability to navigate different languages, cultures, and artistic expressions through the years. From his beginnings, designing the sound of Hiplife, t...