EPK – AfuriKo

“AfuriKo’s new music really flies in the face of jazz, opening up your ears to a world of possibilities.”
Carol Banks Weber, Festival Peak

“In B Town” from Tao (2019)

“Tao is full of dualities…: simple and complex, exotic and highly listenable, bare-bones in format while busy and full in execution.”
Geno Thackara, All About Jazz

“Oleleko” (excerpt) from Tao (2019)

“AfuriKo is in essence an absolutely atypical duo. … I urge you to discover them and slowly enter their world.”
M. M., Afrique Asie

“Kpanlogo” music video from On the Far Side (2014)

[ more press quotes ]

AfuriKo’s music emerges from a wholehearted, spontaneous dialogue between souls, sounds, and cultures. A combination of cutting edge harmonies and bass lines with the ancestral grooves of the djembe, the duo’s unique blend of African infused jazz makes for a timeless experience…

“Kotedjuga” live at Big Apple in Kobe, Japan (2023)

🇬🇧 AfuriKo is an African infused jazz duo comprised of percussionist Akiko Horii and pianist/keyboardist Jim Funnell. Like a modern-day griot, they celebrate traditional heritage from around the world through the prism of soul-soothing rhythms and shimmering harmonies. On stage, Jim and Akiko engage in a quasi-telepathic dialogue. The ancestral stories of the djembe, integrated into a full hand percussion set alongside congas and cajon, blend seamlessly with the modern colours of the acoustic piano, electric keyboards, and synth bass. Their third opus Tao (2019), successfully funded on Kickstarter and released to critical acclaim with reviews on London Jazz News, All About Jazz, and Festival Peak, is a shamanic jazz journey from ancestral Africa to NYC, steeped in deep grooves with shades of Funk, Pop, Reggae, Bulgarian, and Enka music. The duo was featured on Congahead and has toured extensively in the UK (London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s), the United States (ShapeShifter Lab), Japan (Kanazawa Jazz Street), France (Sunset-Sunside, Le Baiser Salé), Iceland (Skuggabaldur), Belgium (JAZZ), Switzerland (Territet & Co.), Uruguay (Jazz a la Calle), Germany (JazzLab), Holland (Theater Vrijburcht), Nepal (Jazzmandu), and South Korea (Jazz Alley). [ read our long bio here ]

“Afro-Samba Funk” live at ZumEck in Basel, Switzerland (2023)

🇫🇷 AfuriKo est un duo jazz infusé d’Afrique composé de la percussionniste Akiko Horii et du pianiste/claviériste Jim Funnell. Tel un griot des temps modernes, ils célèbrent ensemble un vaste patrimoine traditionnel à travers le prisme de rythmes qui apaisent l’âme et d’harmonies chatoyantes. Sur scène, Jim et Akiko se livrent à un dialogue quasi télépathique. Les histoires ancestrales du djembé, intégré à un ensemble complet de percussions à main aux côtés des congas et du cajon, se mêlent sans heurts aux couleurs modernes du piano acoustique, des claviers électriques et de la basse au synthétiseur. Leur troisième opus Tao (2019), financé avec succès sur Kickstarter et chroniqué dans des médias tels que London Jazz News, All About Jazz et Festival Peak, est un voyage jazz chamanique qui nous mène de l’Afrique ancestrale au New York contemporain, imprégné de grooves profonds avec des nuances de funk, de pop, de reggae, de musique bulgare et d’enka. Le duo s’est notamment produit sur le plateau de Congahead et en tournée au Royaume-Uni (London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s), aux États-Unis (ShapeShifter Lab), au Japon (Kanazawa Jazz Street), en France (Sunset-Sunside, Le Baiser Salé), en Islande (Skuggabaldur), en Belgique (JAZZ), en Suisse (Territet & Co.), en Uruguay (Jazz a la Calle), en Allemagne (JazzLab), en Hollande (Theater Vrijburcht), au Népal (Jazzmandu) et en Corée du Sud (Jazz Alley). [ version longue en anglais ici ]