Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Experience (support from Joe Garland's Mega Fusion)

Guildford Jazz Festival Present Dele Dele Sosimi with support from Joe Garland's Megafusion.

Dele Sosimi, the Nigerian-British Afrobeat Ambassador, Musician and Educator, has been at the heart of the global Afrobeat scene since relocating to the UK in December 1995. Having started his musical career with Fela's Egypt 80 band in his teens, he then teamed up with childhood friend Fela's son Femi Kuti (back in the late eighties) to kick start the Positive Force - touring, recording and performing worldwide. Over forty years later, he remains a tireless ambassador for the unique musical movement all over the world. His blend of complex funk grooves, traditional Nigerian music, African percussion and an underlying sense of jazz combines with his virtuoso keyboard skills and rhythmic singing to make him one of the most respected Afrobeat authorities of his era.

Hackney-born and UK-based Dele has performed all over the planet, from the Montreux Jazz Festival to Mawazine Festival in Rabat Morrocco; Ollin Khan in Mexico, South Korea and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival to name a few. London's Jazz Café has said before “we're honoured that for so long we've been able to call Jazz Café the home of Dele's seminal afrobeat orchestra.” Dele was also Afrobeat music consultant for the National Theatre's production of Fela!, often performed with the late great Tony Allen.

"The love and passion I have for composing, writing, performing and teaching Afrobeat Music is my main motivation," says Dele, adding; "my aim is to build upon the rich heritage of music worldwide by creating opportunities for young people to learn. I want them to experience Afrobeat forms of music and music-making activities that will expand knowledge and broaden the horizons of the musicians young or old."

Support from JOE GARLAND'S MEGAFUSION .

MEGAFUSION is a groovy jazz fusion project led by guitarist Joe Garland. The debut 6-track album was recorded in January 2026 at Premises Studios, Hackney. It features a group of young London based musicians at the top of their game in both the jazz and session worlds. Joe's original compositions draw on influences such as the Yellowjackets, Tribal Tech and John Scofield to produce a refreshing new sound which marries old-school groove music and a produced, high-tech modern jazz energy..

The MEGAFUSION band performed material from the upcoming album at the EFG London Jazz Festival in 2025 and will be recording a live performance as the full 15pc studio lineup in 2026 to launch the record, as well as touring as a smaller outfit throughout mid-late 2026. The band are all busy regulars at London's jazz clubs (Ronnie Scott's, Vortex, Pizza etc), as well as various outlandishly large UK pop venues (O2 Arena, Brixton Academy, Wembley Arena) and London's West End.