Konkolo Orchestra

Konkolo Orchestra is a 12-piece ensemble imagined and led by drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Alexis Malefakis. The project took root in 2022, when Malefakis began crafting and recording music for a big band—often performing most instruments himself. He named it “Konkolo Orchestra,” from the Yoruba word konkolo, meaning “tiny”—a nod to his newborn daughter and the project’s one-man-orchestra origins. The first single, Blue G., featuring Nongoma Ndlovu, was released in 2022 on Rocafort Records and quickly drew acclaim, with Gilles Peterson (BBC) calling it “one of the big tunes of the year.” Malefakis soon expanded his collaborations, bringing in percussionist Eric Owusu and vocalists Kitio Batola and Frank Karikari. The result was Future Pasts, an eight-track debut released in January 2024 on Rocafort Records. Strong demand for live shows followed. In March 2024, Malefakis assembled the full band, debuting at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July. Performances have since included their hometown stage at Moods, a sold-out night at London’s Jazz Café in November 2024, and a 2025 appearance opening for Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour at the Cully Jazz Festival. Their latest single, Will You Miss Me (Vanamai), carried once again by the voice of Nongoma, continues Konkolo Orchestra’s musical dialogue between Afro-diasporic influences, soul and contemporary groove. Photos: Anne Colliard