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At Bossaphonik’s June event we welcome a pioneering and leading figure from the Dakar music scene, all the way from Senegal – the 6 piece hybrid sensation of Sahad for the first time in Oxford.Led by Sahad Sarr – passionate vocalist, guitarist and percussionist, who with his band defy expectations of Senegalese music. Their sound is a kaleidoscopic mixture of genres with an ingredient of local homegrown mbalax and popular vintage sounds from other West African countries including Mali, Guinea, Nigeria and Ghana. The band imbed global pan-African influences to create alternative modern Afro-centric grooves with elements of Afrojazz, funk, blues, reggae and Afrobeat. Sahad Sarr’s high energy stage delivery and exhilarating charisma have led critics to label him “the Senegalese James Brown” and also “the new king of Afrobeat.” He sings in English, French and Wolof in a contemporary style that has won him the admiration of Dakar’s musical community and he has been showered with awards from a whole host of international countries since starting touring in 2016 whilst still at a relatively young age.
At the heart of Sahad Sarr’s ingenuity lies a cultural philosophy of a quest for independence, a pride of being African and a deep connection to Senegal. He leads a number of projects meant to show young people that it is possible to dream big in Senegal. His latest album “African West Station” is earning him his best reviews yet and is a remarkable work of musical pan-Africanism – a culmination of 4 years of research into the archives of post-independence West African music from the 1960s to the ‘80s. He states the album is meant as a "decolonial plea and a project for unity, where music plays an essential role because it transcends borders." Themes of songs include the criticism of present and past African heads of state who he says have maintained a “servile relationship with the coloniser” and an advocation of a youth free from hang-ups, a cultural reappropriation and a new relationship with the world. Strong influences of Fela Kuti’s trance-like grooves are in evidence along with Mali legend Ali Farka Toure but he says that record labels in Africa as well as Europe and the US have trouble defining his music. Along with being African music it’s also a form of jazz fusion, his influences include Miles Davis, John Coltrane and James Brown – so he considers his style to be “kaleidoscopic.”
“An apostle of musical pan-Africanism….to remind us that Senegalese music is not limited to mbalax alone, singer and guitarist Sahad Sarr broadens the lens with 3rd album ‘African West Station’ which reflects his affinity for Nigerian Afrobeat and his mastery of the genre.” Radio France Internationale
Check out a full gig of Sahad this year at Jazzahead Festival in Bremen, Germany:
Check out a collage of a gig in 2025 at New Morning in Paris:
Following the joyful sounds of the live band as ever is a Bossaphonik club session. This evening, we have Kwassa Kwassa guest DJs - made up of Tom Hilton and Simon Starling, the pair have been running their superb tropical parties in Oxford for over 12 years. With their breathtaking repertoire of vintage music from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the dancefloor will be heated til 1:30am to the sounds of -
Afrobeat * Highlife * Soukous * Funk * Soul * Reggae * Ska * Salsa * Cumbia * Calypso * Hip Hop * Bomba * Soca!!!
Friday 19th June
Bossaphonik Presents Sahad + Kwassa Kwassa DJs
Cowley Workers Social Club, Between Towns Road. OX4 3LZ (Near Templars Square Shopping Centre. Regular buses 1 and 5 from City Centre go up Cowley Road and back til 2:55am, stopping opposite the venue)
8pm–1:30am
Band starts at 9:30pm
£16 advance (wegottickets.com) / £18 student ID on door / £21 door
Hope to see ya there!
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Event Venue
Cowley Workers Social Club, OX4 3LZ Oxford, United Kingdom, Taberu, 100 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE, United Kingdom
Tickets
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