Afro-Cuban rhythm meets live electronica at a jam like no other - Ariwo & Friends
Formed in London in 2015 and live premiered via a global online Boiler Room session, Ariwo are a quartet led by Iranian electronic composer Pouya Ehsaei, that are renowned for sculpting an immersive sound world using a base of Afro-Cuban polyrhythms, carnival melodies, cosmic jazz and live electronics.
Every month since July 2021, they host a jam like no other where they invite their various talented musician friends from the London live music scene to join them on stage and work out new material for 2 sets of completely improvised music at Grow.
Ariwo’s unique sound is shaped by the way their operation is set up. Pouya processes his band mate’s drums, percussion and trumpet through his mixing desk, adding effects to them and EQing them live. Together they create soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms that draw influence from the folkloric music of Cuba and Pouya’s home city of Tehran. Similar to the raw energy of Cuban rumba shows, the group thrives off its dialogue with the audience, drawing them in with the spirit and raw energy of the performance.
Led by Pouya Eshaei, Ariwo is comprised of Latin Grammy winning drummer Hammadi Valdes, Riot Jazz trumpeter Sam Warner, Oreste Norda & Regis Molina.
“Ariwo means noise in Yoruba - and what a stunning noise it is too.”
Their dark, mesmeric, uplifting and danceable style has led them to release 2 albums on Manana Records and a single on the iconic, On the Corner Records and led them to play at prestigious venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Cafe, Oval Space, and Gilles Peterson’s festival We Out Here, where they are due to play this summer as well.