“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 (Feb. 2019)

AfuriKo – a Japanese portmanteau word combining “Afurika” (アフリカ) and the suffix “Ko” (子) which means “child” – 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 spellbinding grooves and eccentric harmonies.

Their first two albums – On the Far Side (2014) and Style (2016) – were produced with the support of SACEM (the French Society of Authors, Composers, and Music Publishers). Their new opus Tao (2019), successfully funded on Kickstarter, is a jazz journey from ancestral Africa to NYC, steeped in deep grooves with shades of Funk, Pop, Reggae, Bulgarian, and Enka music.

Propelled into existence when Jim & Akiko’s paths crossed in Paris as a result of following a shared, irrepressible call to Africa, its culture, and its Diaspora, AfuriKo began experimenting in 2010. A playful blending of tones and rhythms came to life, and a unique dialogue between the ancestral stories of the djembe and the modern voice of digital pianos and synthesizers was quickly initiated.

The duo has toured extensively in the UK (London Jazz Festival, Cardiff University Concert Hall, Vortex Jazz Club), Japan (Kanazawa Jazz Street, Asahi Shimbun’s Asacom Hall), France (Sunset Sunside, Le Baiser Salé, Improphile), Germany (JazzLab), Holland (Theater Vrijburcht), Nepal (Kathmandu Jazz Festival, Jazz Upstairs), the United States (Rockwood Music Hall, Beats in Bliss Plaza), South Korea (Jazz Alley), and collaborated with artists such as Hiroshi Fukutomi (Japan), Ory Minie (French Polynesia), Eddie Parker, Chris Batchelor, Rob Luft (United Kingdom), Bill Sims, Jr. (United States), Jade Choi (South Korea), Bruno Wilhelm, Philippe Lopes de Sa, and Chris Hayward (France).

Since 2017, Akiko and Jim have been living in Queens, New York, letting the energy that emanates from the most ethnically diverse part of the world nourish their creative process on a daily basis.

Hiro-kazu Yokoyama lives in New York. He plays Jazz and sometimes composes and arranges music.

“I Am Love” is the new single from Washington DC-based vocalist and songwriter Cecily (ses-suh-lee). Known for her agile soprano and honest lyrics, the single is the first track taken from her upcoming project “Awakening Pt. 2” which was inspired by the text All About Love by bell hooks. The track specifically focusses on the importance of affirmations, as discussed in the text, with the heart – and title – from the track rooted in the power of reminding yourself: “I Am Love”.

Echoing the romantic sensibilities of 1970s soul artists with a fresh twist, “I Am Love” effortlessly exists at the intersection of Jazz and Soul, highlighted by an easy groove and thoughtful harmonies. Co-written alongside Jacob Ungerleider, the melody of the track grew from a chord progression inspired by Cecily’s listening to Blossom Dearie and Dionne Warwick, which felt like a natural pairing to the affirming poem she had crafted through daily journals. The track pays tribute to its poetic beginnings with emphasis on imagery around love as depicted through the natural world and colors; “green for the heart chakra and rose, as in a rose quartz, which is the crystal used to cultivate love energy.”

“Awakening Pt. 2” explores unconditional love and its transformative power. Going beyond the romantic, Cecily dives into what hooks called a Love Ethic and examines how love can grow in each part of our loves
and in society through familial love, self-love, divine love, and love of Mother Nature. “bell hooks said, “All awakening to love is spiritual awakening” and that’s how I felt when I wrote these songs and more broadly in my journey to awakening to love.” In crafting a thematic album Cecily pays extra attention to the individual identities and styles of each track. Working with the likes of Jenna Camille, Muhsinah, Allyn Johnson, Zachary Cutler and Jacob Ungerleider, the LP travels through the realms of Jazz, Soul and R&B with tenderness and musician precision.

Growing up surrounded by her parents’ vast record collection – her father, a lover of Miles Davis, and her mother, a Smokey Robinson fan – Cecily developed a love of singing and an appreciation for the connection
she had to music from a young age, taking classical voice lessons from the age of thirteen. Through this upbringing and her own focus on poetry, her work is fueled with a unique sensuality that informs not only her vocal approach, but also her self-reflecting lyrics, grappling with self-acceptance, vulnerability, and rebirth. With a degree in Political Science and Black Studies, and an understanding of how disillusioned politics can make people feel, Cecily works to bring purpose and power to her music and people’s lives. Over her career, she has done just that by making a commitment to create work that celebrates vulnerability as a strength, unconditional love as a grounding principle, and joy as an innate human right.

Posi-Tone Records is a jazz label that strives to produce the highest quality recordings by the best up-and-coming musicians on today's exciting jazz scene.  Whether it's contemporary interpretations of classic material or fresh new songs by the hottest innovative players, the Posi-Tone catalog provides both new fans and devoted listeners with something they can count on to deliver the energy that exists in the current world of jazz.

JazzLife is a 90-minute sonic exploration of today’s current jazz scene, through artist interviews, in-depth profiles, live festival coverage and exclusive concert footage.

Highlighting both legends and emergent voices, JazzLife offers a nod to the past, bringing back how jazz was first introduced to most people, while also looking ahead at those furthering this rich oral tradition. Musicians and vocalists will have a platform to talk candidly about how they create and what inspires their music. 

Since 2008, Shannon J. Effinger has been an arts and cultural writer for publications such as DownBeat, NPR Jazz, EBONY, JazzTimes, Caribbean Beat, The Revivalist (OkayPlayer.com), and Time Out New York, among others. Her work has highlighted many renown music festivals, both in the US and abroad—South Africa, Panama & Haiti, among other countries.

Corey A. Wallace is following