Onipa
Biography Onipa
Onipa
Afro-futurist band Onipa is the collaboration between multi-instrumentalist artist and rapper K.O.G (Kweku Sackey) and Tom Excell, which fuses music from Ghana and London, alongside bandmates Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) and Wonky Logic (Steam Down). Since their debut at TGE festival, they’ve gone on to sell out London’s Jazz Café, had multiple headline festival slots, showcased at this year’s SXSW (where they were listed as one of the best acts by The New York Times and KCRW) and We Out Here online, and were invited by Africa Express to perform for Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday celebration as well as Damon Albarn’s ‘The Circus’ in Leyton.
Their debut album We No Be Machine was released in March 2020, with a 4* review from MOJO and UK radio play from Benji B, Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe, however coverage and touring was all badly hit by the pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, Onipa still managed to record an immersive live performance at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios for WOMAD as well as releasing a new album, Tapes of Utopia via Boomerang Records (Sept 2021). The album blends genres from the analogue tones of Afrobeat, Highlife and Soukous to Afrofuturistic rap and electronics.
Tom Excell is the composer, guitarist, percussionist and producer for Onipa, Over the last 10 years, Excell has established himself as an eclectic producer of Jazz, Pan-African music, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Folk and Electronic music with work released on labels such as Domino, Strut, Soundway, Tru Thoughts, Six Degrees, Luaka Bop, Dharma and Easy Star Records.
Excell’s productions have made a name for themselves with support from radio DJ’s such as Giles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, David Rodigan, Craig Charles and Huey Morgan, receiving plays across BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, BBC 4, BBC 6 and BBC 1Xtra. Excell’s productions have received critical acclaim from publications such as The Guardian, The Independent, Mojo, Clash, BBC Music Magazine, Songlines magazine and Jazzwise.
Later this year, they will be releasing their highly anticipated album Off The Grid, on October 6 via Real World Records, with a UK tour to follow.
