From questioning ‘Colonial Mentality’ to ‘Where they’re meant to be’, a band with artistes more connected to social realities

Multiculturalism has been a big part of Koleoso’s experience in London. Born to Nigerian migrant parents, 29-year-old Koleoso shared how he grew up in north London with a Bangladeshi babysitter, watching Bollywood films, listening to Jamaican artists and with a Turkish best friend.

“That’s what London is and I feel like Ezra (Collective) is a celebration of London where you allow everyone’s cultures to shine bright… Because part of what makes London great is Nigerians, part of what makes London great is Indians!”

The ensemble comprising Koleoso’s brother and bassist, TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe-Armon Jones, tenor saxophonist James Mollison and trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi draws heavily from Nigerian activist and musician Fela Kuti.

As is the legacy of the jazz movement itself, Ezra Collective has been in conversation with social realities, marginalisation of identities and histories of colonial violence. This conversation has two features— it happens usually without words and it calls for riotous joy.

“When I read the news and see all of the violence in the world, I am not happy but joy is deeper than happiness or sadness. Joy can be the engine to fight what’s going on in the world. The energy I have got to play tonight comes from joy,” said Koleoso, alluding to one of their most popular tracks, ‘You Can’t Steal My Joy’. It was also the slogan that Koleoso chanted during their hour-long carnivalesque performance in Pune.

In 2016, they released a cover of one of Kuti’s songs called ‘Colonial Mentality’. “Fela Kuti, pan-Africanist and musician, is coming to colonial mentality by way of the fact that the British came also to Nigeria and changed a lot of the way that Nigerians were thinking about themselves,” Koleoso said.

With the only vocals in their songs coming from collaborations, they have built their own language for all they have to share. “I feel like words are important in making a point but I don’t think it’s the only way to make a point. My words mean a lot to you right now because you can speak English but I met a lot of people today who cannot. That does not make what I have got to say any more or less important,” Koleoso said.

Beyond language, accessibility has been one thing that Ezra Collective has focused on through their experiments with a tiered ticketing system back in London. “I always believe that the child version of me needs to be able to watch me today. If I can’t do that then I have lost who I am and I didn’t grow up a rich kid, you know,” Koleoso said.

Sensitivity for the youth is not a mere coincidence for Koleoso regularly interacts with students and visits schools, even during tours as he recently did in Australia.

The reason is not philanthropy but a refreshing understanding of what legacy means for the Ezra Collective itself who despite the recent global attention, give centrestage to community. “It’s kind of cool that we are getting invited to play in festivals and shows everywhere but one day we might not get invited. So what’s more important is that maybe someone that I taught gets invited. That would make me feel good, you know what I mean?”, said Koleoso.