Western jazz blended with Ghanaian and Nigerian dance styles, embracing a musical culture dating back centuries

Lekan Babalola is a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, film director, and conceptual artist with over 40 years in the arts. Awarded his first Grammy in 2006 for performances on the late Ali Farka Toure’s album ‘In the Heart of the Moon’, he was awarded a second at the 49th Grammy awards in 2008 for his work on the American jazz diva Cassandra Wilson’s album ‘Loverly’.

Lekan started his career playing in the Yoruba Christian Church owned by his father. As custodians of Yoruba tradition his family taught him first hand Yoruba art and culture and this has influenced all his work. He also received a cultural and political apprenticeship from the late Fela Kuti.

The Sacred Funk project has been going several years with Lekan on percussion and his wife Kate Luxmoore on clarinet, joined by various other musicians in the past including Reed Bass, who has played for us in December 2023, and Christos Stylianides (trumpet) who will be appearing with Jas Kayser & Chums in January.  In the current lineup we welcome back our friends Josh Vadiveloo (appeared with Dan Lockheart in September 2023) on bass and Reuben Reynolds (appeared with Reed Bass in December 2023) on guitar.