Elage Mbaye(Vox), Jessamyn Greene(Lead/Rhythm guitar), Robert Milicevic (Drum kit), Abdou Sy(Keys/Vox/Sabar/Djembe), Andy Gorham(Keys), Asuquo Inyang(Tenor/Alto Sax), Juan Macias(Congas/Percussion), Usmane Ali(Bass/Tablas/Vox/Percussion), Sean Tolentino(PR/Design)
Influences
Abdourahmane Diop "The Howlin' Wolf"
Xalam
Toure Kunda
Boukman Eksperyans
Cheikh Amadou Bamba, Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Sy Family, Dr. & Mrs. Mushtaq Bajwa, the Greenes', Abdourahmane Diop & the Griot Music Co., Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Papu Sain, Pharoah Sanders, John & Alice Coltrane, Anwar Khurshid,Samir Chaterji, Lonnie Liston Smith, Burning Spear, Fela Kuti, Steel Pulse, Jamiroquai, Police, Thelonious Monk, Sun Ra, Max Roach, Ram Dass, Bela Fleck & the Flectones, Boukman Eksperans, Emanuelle Printemps, Beautiful Nubia, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Michael Franti, Roots Movement Band (Owen), Zakir Hussein, Habib Faye, Dan Weiss, Jacques Murigande(Popo), Patrick Guinta, Vander & Royal Montreal Bass Ma Boom, Kelly Craig, Stuart Watkins, Kobo Town...
For the past two years, JOKKO has been a mainstay of Ottawa’s world music scene, delivering a potent blend of hard-hitting Senegalese mbalax rhythms and heavy reggae bass grooves to audiences throughout the National Capital Region. The group, whose name means “Coalition” in Wolof, was founded by bassist Usmane Ali and guitarist Jessamyn Greene, and comprises a collective of musicians who share a commitment to musical activism and social justice. Other members of JOKKO include frontman and singer Elage Mbaye, who hails from a prominent family of Senegalese griots, and keyboardist/arranger Abdou Sy, who has won awards for his incisive political songwriting.
We invite all to come and share in love, peace, and harmony.
Hi Usmane, Great to see you the other night at the poetry gig. Hope Jokko will be playing in Ottawa in January so I can go see you all play again. Love your groove. Peace, Yaseemi.
How are you doin... I ll see you sooooooooooooooon ma brother...mless tahn a month. Can't wait to play with you azgain... Get your fingers ready Imtellin you.. Hope the all band is doin fine to.. Hope we'll get the chanceto collaborate on something..
