Orii community jam @ Jumbi, Peckham

28th August 2024

‘Orii’ means ‘soul’ in Yoruba as host Germane is keen to reminds us. And for sure there is no shortage of soul tonight at Peckham’s Jumbi, with some absolutely stunning musicianship on display. It all kicks off gently, with Germane and founder Neue Grafik trading bars whilst Grafik tinkles the Nord keys. As the musicians find their groove and the room begins to fill with people, soon what was an awkward empty room becomes a thronging musical space.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the sax player, laying down giddy, swirling leads over the bands’ mellow grooves. We are treated to the talents of allegedly the world’s best finger drum player (“he was in a competition, but he was robbed”, Grafik jokes), and Germane lays down some laid-back lyrics. He encourages audience members to come up and take a turn on vocals. the crowd are initially shy, but eventually one quite intoxicated member of the crowd in a full 3-piece suit steps up to deliver a discordant performance to everyone’s amusement.

After the ice is broken, more and more volunteers make their way to the front. We get soul, rap and spoken word; creative freedom abound as the band lay down a new groove. Some are shy, some are less so, but the ethos remains the same: all are welcome and this is a safe space for creative expression.

A steel pan player joins the band late, and is eagerly welcomed by Germane. Though the musicians themselves are private and keep a close-knit circle, the atmosphere is excellent, even if you aren;t participating. A gig with no set list that is just happy to go with the flow makes a welcome break from rigid setlists and feels so unique; you will never get the same experiejce twice from an Orii Community show. Thoroughly recommend having a look.