Keyboards, Winds, Vocals: Sakari Kukko
Vocals: Meissa Niang
Kora, Vocals, Percussion: Cheikh Cissokho
Bass Guitar, Vocals: Abdoullaye Ndiaye
Conga, Drums, Vocals, Rapping: Yirime Gueye
One of the legendary musicians of Finland; keyboards, guitar, flute and saxophone virtuoso Sakari Kukko performs at Akbank Sanat with “Sakari Kukko Afro Chamber”, which he created new project coming together with Senegalese musicians.
The music of Sakari Kukko Afro Chamber consists of deep West-African tradition combined with elements of jazz and songs of Finnish composers such as Jean Sibelius, Toivo Kuula and Georg Malmsten as well as compositions of band-members. All this arranged in an original way creating unique sound no other band can provide.
Working with the numerous musicians such as Kajaani Big Band (1969–1972), Kisu & Uniset (1970–1971), Etoile de Dakar (1979), Espoo Big Band (1990) and Okay Temiz (various project between 1992-2008), Sakari Kukko’s major project was Piirpauke since 1974. The band, which is the one of the leader of “World Music”, gave the concert at 40 countries.
Kukko also performed with the important name such as Youssou Ndour, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Bob Mose, Lester Bowie, Zakir Hussein, Paquito d'Rivera, Ted Curson, Walter Bishop Jr., Herbie Hanckock's Head Hunters, Hamid Drake, Bill Öhrström, Coste Apetrea and Edward Wesala. After 7 solo albums record, Kukko released his latest album “JouLumo” in 2017.