Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra

KOKOLO
Origin	New York City, USA
Genres	Afrobeat Afrofunk Afro Disco
Years active	2001–Present
Labels	Afrokings, Freestyle, Record Kicks, Little Boat, Peace & Rhythm
Associated acts	Charlie Hunter Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Faze Action Roy Davis, Jr. Antibalas Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers Ray Lugo
Website	raylugo.com
Members	Ray Lugo – Vocals Chris Morrow - Trombone Kavin Paulraj - Bass Neil Chastain – Drums Ando Kal – Guitar

Kokolo (/kəˈkoʊloʊ/ kə-KOH-loh), 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 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 the positivity in their music.

Prior to founding Kokolo, Lugo’s musical background was rooted in New York’s downtown hardcore punk and rock scenes, associating with groups such as Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits, Jawbreaker, Youth Of Today, Anthrax, Leeway and Warzone. Warzone’s lead singer, Raymond “Raybeez” Barbieri was a close personal friend of Lugo and an early mentor on the ins-and-outs of independent music, inspiring the DIY ethic that would become a key characteristic of Kokolo.

...
Wikipedia