Jazz in the Park- Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra

Date: Thu, June 21st 2012
Additional Time Info: 5-9pm
Location: Cathedral Square Park

June 21 ~ Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra

Kokolo, also known as the Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra, is an American Afrobeat band from the Lower East Side of New York City, formed in 2001 by songwriter/producer Ray Lugo. Along with The Daktaris and Antibalas, they form part of the early New York Afrobeat scene that ignited the genre’s current global revival.

The band's name, (pronounced koh/koh/loh), was taken from a 1970's term used in Spanish Harlem and parts of the Caribbean, often as a pejorative, to describe Latinos of African descent who were fans of Afro music. Kokolo aimed to invert the negative connotation of the term through their music.

In the summer of 2001, Lugo turned to Gabe Roth to produce Kokolo’s debut album “Fuss And Fight”, so called because Lugo wanted to denote the friction and internal bickering going on within the group at that time. Recorded at Daptone Studios in Brooklyn, and featuring some of the musicians in Antibalas and released on the UK Label AfroKings, “Fuss And Fight” quickly gained the band a following, in particular with European audiences, due in part to the relative novelty of the genre, but also due to their high-energy performances and undeniable talent, and the band soon toured the UK for the first time. Prior to this maiden tour and a result of internal disagreements, most of the initial group left to form the Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble.

Jazz in the Park

Thursdays June 7- September 6, 2012
Cathedral Square Park

5 - 9 pm
Happy Hour at 5pm
Music starts at 6pm

Click here for complete lineup & details

Jazz in the Park is Milwaukee's favorite free, outdoor, summer music series, featuring an eclectic lineup of jazz, big band, funk, R & B, reggae, blues and more. Performers come from across town or across the country.

Concerts take place Thursday evenings, 5pm-9pm from June 7  through September 6, in Cathedral Square Park.  Music starts at 6pm, but stop by early for Jazz in the Park Happy Hour and get great drink specials from 5-6pm! 

Jazz in the Park is produced by a non-profit organization and asks that you leave your adult beverages at home. All proceeds from sales at Jazz in the Park help offset the high costs of production and ensure the continued success of the festival. Please do your part to support this event.