Kokoroko are picking up where they left off.
Formed in 2014, the London collective built a formidable name in the UK and Europe with their fluent and energetic melding of jazz and African funk genres from Nigerian Afrobeat to Ghanaian Highlife.
After slaying festival audiences across the continent, the group released an eponymous 2019 EP that amassed more than 68 million streams on major music platforms.
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The momentum only increased the anticipation surrounding debut album Could We Be More and, fortunately, for the most part, the group fulfilled its promise.
Led by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, the octet conjures up a vibrant 15-song set that harvests various influences from London to Lagos.
A sinewy Afrobeat groove carries Adwa, a strident piece punctured by the occasional thrilling horn explosion from saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi.
Tojo is a lovely marriage of past and future. The latter is supplied by Yohan Kebede's psychedelic keyboard riffs while the horn section, led by Maurice-Grey, delivers the kind of vintage arrangement recalling Fela Kuti.
Age of Ascent lives up to its esoteric title and finds the group slowing things down for a track cinematic in scope, while Eva Inu is a showcase for the group's lethal rhythm section of bassist Duane Atherley and drummer Ayo Salawu.
While largely instrumental, Could We Be More has a few vocal tracks.
The standout, Those Good Times, features a silky vocal by Maurice-Grey that takes the music towards neo-soul territory and provides an intriguing prospect on what direction Kokoroko can go next.
The smooth track also reveals the slight and niggling weakness running throughout Could We Be More, in that it can feel overproduced and doesn’t fully summon the energy of their pulsating live show.
This is best exemplified in War Dance, which despite its intention to be a rhythmic and sweaty number, seems too sanitised and polished to elicit the kind of primal dancing response seen when people see Kokoroko live.
That said, these are relatively minor gripes in what is a supremely assured debut album.
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
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