{"id":20410,"date":"2024-02-17T23:17:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T22:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/?p=20410"},"modified":"2024-02-21T15:12:33","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T14:12:33","slug":"iconic-gregg-kofi-brown-i-started-out-as-a-busker-the-girls-loved-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/iconic-gregg-kofi-brown-i-started-out-as-a-busker-the-girls-loved-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic Gregg Kofi Brown: I started out as a busker&#8230; the girls loved it!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"STING    &amp; Gregg Kofi Brown    (Nicolosi productions)\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QjmNJz3pCFA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Gregg, how did you get started in music?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">I was born in Tennessee and grew up in the culture of traditional black southern music: gospel<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">and<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> blues. <\/span><span class=\"s3\">My family<\/span><span class=\"s3\">then <\/span><span class=\"s3\">moved<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">to Alaska <\/span><span class=\"s3\">where<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> I <\/span><span class=\"s3\">lived from<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">the age <\/span><span class=\"s3\">of <\/span><span class=\"s3\">five<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">to<\/span><span class=\"s3\">seven years old. \u00a0I started to <\/span><span class=\"s3\">listen to<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> pop music: the Everly Brothers, Elvis <\/span><span class=\"s3\">Presley<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> and Little Richard. Then, we moved from Alaska. This time <\/span><span class=\"s3\">to<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> Riverside, California, which is about 45 miles from Los Angeles. I lived on the road: Riverside (where my mother and stepfather were), California, and Memphis (because my grandmother was there). I went there and back every year or every two years. And lived among the southern culture of soul blues, surf music (in California), pop music, The Carpenters, jazz.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">By the way, it&#8217;s<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> quite funny, the Beatles were quite popular, we sang their songs&#8230; But the first single I bought was the Rolling Stones. It was called &#8220;Satisfaction&#8221;. One day I was driving home with a friend and his father, I heard this song on the radio and said: \u201cOh, stop the car!\u201d We drove past my favourite record store. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll continue walking home!\u201d- jumped out of the car and ran to the music store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">My performing experience began primarily in church and school choirs, as well as singing with my cousins <\/span><span class=\"s5\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">\u200b\u200b<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">in Memphis on a street corner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><span class=\"s4\"><a ref=\"magnificPopup\" href=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326.jpeg\" data-lbwps-width=\"469\" data-lbwps-height=\"918\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20364\" src=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"469\" height=\"918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326.jpeg 469w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326-153x300.jpeg 153w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326-461x902.jpeg 461w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/20211001_151326-243x475.jpeg 243w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How did your own musical style develop?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">I started playing an instrument (it was a cello) and studied classical music. Then I switched to the double bass and combined it with singing. I got my first electric bass, and then&#8230; I was gifted a six-string guitar! When I was 16 or 17, I was already in a <\/span><span class=\"s3\">band<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> and we played music from artists like James Brown and also funk. I played bass on some songs, and <\/span><span class=\"s3\">sang<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> on others, trying to dance like James Brown. We had one boy who danced better, really, just like James Brown&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Nevertheless, my education is more in the field of classical music and singing. I sang in the classic <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">madrigal<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Chamber Singers. But I liked Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, bands that played African and Latin rhythms (Afro-Latin), and this really influenced my worldview.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">And then I put together a group called <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Shango<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. We played Afro-Latin blues. Once we opened for Azteca and <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Mal<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">o<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. It consisted of George <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Santana, Carlos<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">,<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Santana&#8217;s brother<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. Aztec had<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> two percussionists, the <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Escovito<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> brothers, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">and also<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">a young Sheila E, who worked with Prince and was quite popular, she played drums. My journey into the world of music began there!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">When I was in college, I was the entertainment director. Promoted one of Elton John&#8217;s first concerts in America, jazz concerts, rock. And then I moved to Los Angeles and started playing with local funk bands and singing a little. I did my first tour with Joe Cocker playing bass. We played about 12 shows&#8230; and I got kicked out. Because I had a fight with someone from the group. I was young and daring! But Joe loved me, he was great.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">So<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I got kicked off the tour, but <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I went<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> back on tour <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">with a guy named Eric Burdon, who had a band called The Animals. And he organized his own unit. We played concerts in<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">arenas and theatres in <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">America. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">After the tour <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I regrouped with my band and we<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> lived in <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Los Angeles, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">i<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">n a <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">band house <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">on a <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">hill overlooking<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Chinatown. But each of us did our own thing. I got up early, rehearsed, then wrote songs, made business calls, and at night we played concerts. It was the routine of a professional musician.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">A few years later<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> when I was about <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">28<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> years old, I took an acting class as part of a government program that encouraged people to work in areas that interested them. I was paid for my studies and had a stable salary! Experienced actors, producers, and writers participated in the program. I studied at the comedy theatre. And at the same time, I gave concerts. However, I then decided to leave Los Angeles for London after receiving an invitation to join a band. The people who supported me in acting weren&#8217;t too happy about it&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">In London, I started working with a guitarist named Peter Green, who founded Fleetwood Mac. We played a few <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">shows<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">and I learned a lot by just being around him. Peter <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">was mentally challenged<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> but you know, he was still a great <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">guitarist<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a ref=\"magnificPopup\" href=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1.jpeg\" data-lbwps-width=\"4368\" data-lbwps-height=\"2912\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-600x400.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20366\" src=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-902x601.jpeg 902w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-600x400.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mg_9931_1-713x475.jpeg 713w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s4\">What year did you come to London?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">This was in the 1980s. And in 1982 I joined a group called <\/span><span class=\"s3\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\">, which I listened to as a child. And I worked with them for more than 40 years! But during the breaks I did other things. For example, in 1985 I composed a hit called \u201cBaby Talk.\u201d It was the number one song on the American<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">Billboard<\/span><span class=\"s3\">dance charts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I toured a lot with <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> until 1989. But at some point, I started to get tired of the music <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">business, I<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> got a job<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> singing <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">and doing <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">voice-over<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> for<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">television <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">commercials.<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I then<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> joined \u201cEquity\u201d, the Union of Actors. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I started acting<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and singing<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> in plays <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">and<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> musicals<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I did <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">a show in London\u2019s West End<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> called <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">\u201cA Tribute to the Blues <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Brothers<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">at what used to be called the Whitehall Theatre, but now I think it&#8217;s the Trafalgar Studio Theatre. It&#8217;s right on Trafalgar Square. The man who invested in the show was Sean Connery, who played James Bond. The show became <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">really famous<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">was very wild!<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> However, my main role was <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Blueette<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. There were three <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Blueettes<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and two Blues Brothers in the play. We each had our own solo parts, mine was singing \u201cMidnight Hour\u201d and dancing in the style of James Brown. The girls loved it!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Later I moved on to the Buddy Holly musical. And after that&#8230; I became a single father. My first wife died while I was in the Blues <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Brothers<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. My son initially lived with his aunt, but decided he wanted to stay with me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Soon I got a call from <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and they said, \u201cGregg, we need you to tour again<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> in America, Canada<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Europe<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and South Africa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">.\u201d <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I got offered a part <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">to play The Specialist opposite <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Kim Wilde in the <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Who\u2019s <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">rock opera <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">\u201cTOMMY\u201d<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. During this <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">time<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> met my second wife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">We had two sons <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">plus my eldest son<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. To take care of my family <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I had to stop touring&#8230;<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">there was not enough money. And by 2005, I decided that I would return to university, get a master&#8217;s degree, and start teaching. However, even while teaching, my reputation as a musician was still high. I travelled around the world and recorded a solo album in 2004-2005. Sting was there, Billy Cobham, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Des\u2019ree<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">, Gabrielle<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">, Stanley Jordan &#8211; all these <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">artists<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I recorded with. An Italian production company released my first solo album, and it included a song I wrote with Sting, \u201cLullaby for an Anxious Child,\u201d as well as \u201cShadow,\u201d a hit that I learned had been successful in Russia for quite some time. At that moment everything was fine with me. Life, however, seemed a little crazy, and probably too crazy for my wife. That&#8217;s why she divorced me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gregg Kofi Brown &amp; Doc Jazz. Irkutsk. philharmonic\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MWjoVXTsPJ8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">In 2016, I went on my first tour of Russia and played 10 concerts. The first one <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">was<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> in Irkutsk. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">It<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> was amazing! Since I lived in Alaska, I felt that the people there <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">were<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> very similar to Russians (Alaska used to belong to Russia). I even went to school with children whose great-great-grandparents were Russian. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">So,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> when I arrived in Irkutsk, I felt comfortable, like at home. Lake Baikal is a very spiritually enriched place. There is an island where <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">shamans<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> study. And I am very sensitive to spiritual things when I am around such energies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">The next year I stayed in Russia for quite a long time, participated in shows on television and radio, and toured a lot. During the second round<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I got sick. Because the agent (Belarusian from New York) who booked my trip made me fly on planes every day, and this was bad for my blood pressure. I stopped working with him. But by that <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">time<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I already had my own contacts. In short, I began to travel to Russia about four to five times a year, went on tour in Siberia, played in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Krasnodar, Moscow, participated in festivals as a judge, for example, in St. Petersburg in \u201c<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Ya<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Mogu<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">!&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">When the pandemic came, everything stopped.<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">And then the war started&#8230; I went to Russia in December 2021 when the borders opened, and then again in 2022. I had to fly from London via Turkey and couldn&#8217;t use my <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">credit<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">card<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> so <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">had to take cash. I called the concerts \u201cMy Peace Tour\u201d because I know many people in Russia are against the <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">war but<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">can\u2019t<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> say anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gregg Kofi Brown in Moscow. \u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c 1.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GbMufZm7DA4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Meanwhile, in London, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> participated in the preparation of an album dedicated to the 50th anniversary of <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I wr<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">ote or co-wrote 11 of the album&#8217;s 14 songs. It was well received by the press, got a <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">five-star<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> rating, and opened us up to a younger audience. But&#8230; I <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">quarrelled<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> with the management.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">We were doing <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Peter Gabriel\u2019s <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">festival called WOMAD and I got into an argument with the manager. I still had my <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">, and he left and started another <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. And right <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">now<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> I&#8217;m in an uphill legal battle over <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">&#8230; You know, trying to protect the band&#8217;s <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">legacy, but it costs <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">me so much<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> money. I don\u2019t even know why I started this&#8230; But when someone says: \u201cThank you very much!\u201d and just wants to grab his own, I answer: \u201cOh no, you can\u2019t do that, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">that\u2019s not right<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">.\u201d I&#8217;ll see how it goes, maybe I&#8217;ll just wash my hands of it&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I have done a lot in music and as a solo artist, I still work with bands. I have a band called Roots 8, and I have another Peter Green tribute band from Fleetwood Mac<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">called \u201c<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Supernatural\u201d<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. And there are solo things. For example, I just recorded a song with Ed Sheeran. I&#8217;m releasing an album that will be a mixture of <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Afrobeats<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Am<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">a<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">piano<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. Another guy I work with is DJ Paleface, he had a hit with Drake called \u201cOne Dance.\u201d We&#8217;re making an <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">am<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">a<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">piano<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">track. You<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> know, I have come a long way from those humble beginnings when I sang in a choir, played in an orchestra, and sang on the street.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s4\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><a ref=\"magnificPopup\" href=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011.jpeg\" data-lbwps-width=\"854\" data-lbwps-height=\"1280\" data-lbwps-srcsmall=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20380\" src=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"854\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011-602x902.jpeg 602w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011-317x475.jpeg 317w, https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img-20191212-wa0011-600x899.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The work that you are doing now&#8230; Would you say that this is a continuation of <span class=\"s4\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa&#8217;s<\/span> <span class=\"s4\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">endeavours<\/span><span class=\"s4\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> in the 70s? Or is this something new?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Unfortunately, all the guys from the older <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> generation of the 70s have passed away. But we are trying to preserve the music <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">and <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">pass it on to young people. Because <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">its<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> roots come from Ghana, West Africa. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Osibisa<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> are heroes in Ghana! They are the first African band to really hit the West. Three guys are from Ghana, one is from Nigeria, another guy is from Antigua, another is from Granada in the West Indies, and one is from Trinidad. But the music, the whole rhythm, is African. Now <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I\u2019ve <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">connected with such New York DJs as Louis Vega and Josh Milan. I&#8217;m going to release an album of remixes and a few fresh tracks, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">adding<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> a little Afrobeat<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Afro<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">&#8211;<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">swing <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">&amp; Afro-house<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">So yeah, I&#8217;m writing a whole series: there&#8217;s a bit of Fela <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Kuti<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">, but also a bit of <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Burna<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Boy. Such a <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">mixed<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> atmosphere in one album.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Samples of recent work:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Video 1<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">: Collaboration with Faye aka Triple Goddess London: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gregg Kofi with Triple Goddess London\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BQ7ZP1nrjaI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Video 2<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">:<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> Collaboration with DJ Paleface:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gregg with DJ Paleface\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NmxfGE0BRXY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><span class=\"s4\">How would you describe your music yourself, is there a message that you send to people?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">My message is that people are united in peace, <\/span><span class=\"s3\">love<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> and harmony. It&#8217;s a kind of unity! People should <\/span><span class=\"s3\">come together <\/span><span class=\"s3\">to <\/span><span class=\"s3\">fight oppression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I have a tropical reggae album that I haven&#8217;t released yet.<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">There&#8217;s a blues album that goes back to when I was living in Memphis that tells stories of different people and things. But even on a blues album, you can hear the African influence. And when I do a <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">jazz-funk number, you might hear an African chant or an African bass line or something like that. I would say my music is authentic, with a touch of soul in my voice. I have a song that I recorded with Billy Cobham. I sing it in an African language, Ghanaian. It&#8217;s like mutated music, a hybrid. It took a long time to develop this style. And now, perhaps, my creative state is better than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Video 3<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">, Gregg plays \u201cLonely Light of Love\u201d on guitar:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gregg Kofi Brown &quot;Lonely light of Love&quot;\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1BezbMn43oE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><span class=\"s4\">How do you feel about this kind of mixing of cultures when someone like Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber uses Afrobeat or <\/span><span class=\"s4\">Afrobeats<\/span><span class=\"s4\"> in their music?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">As long as<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> they open up these genres and other people can get something useful out of it, I&#8217;m fine with it, at least as far as Ed Sheeran is concerned. I don&#8217;t know about Justin Bieber, but I think Justin does too, I hope so. I know that Ed was in Ghana and recorded with Fuse ODG <\/span><span class=\"s3\">and also<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> with <\/span><span class=\"s3\">Burna<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> Boy and<\/span><span class=\"s3\">helped open doors for guys who come from Africa. He&#8217;s not <\/span><span class=\"s3\">like<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> the typical white guy who could rip off the style and the music and say, &#8220;Yeah, that&#8217;s me.&#8221; But there are people who simply culturally rob others&#8230; This is unfair! But I respect Ed, his guys, <\/span><span class=\"s3\">and <\/span><span class=\"s3\">Eminem. They get together, bring their individual styles, <\/span><span class=\"s3\">and <\/span><span class=\"s3\">combine them. <\/span><span class=\"s3\">And that is<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><span class=\"s4\">You <\/span><span class=\"s4\">travelled<\/span><span class=\"s4\"> a lot around Russia, why did you keep coming back?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">It was about the authenticity of the music and the people. And, you know, I had a couple of Russian <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">girl<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">friends.<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> But it was<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> mainly <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">because of <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">my media partners. I love having these connections. For example, people in St. Petersburg, from the \u201c<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Ya<\/span> <span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Mogu<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">!\u201d festival, when the pandemic broke out, <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">called<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and said: \u201cGregg, are you okay? You need money? Do you need anything? I replied, \u201cI\u2019m fine. I&#8217;m just looking forward to coming back and working with you guys.&#8221; But I was very pleased that they called and asked. <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">That\u2019s <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">it, friendship<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and dedication that goes beyond business. They respect what I <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">bring,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and I will always respect what they do. I even wanted to learn Russian. I have an app that teaches phrases&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"\u0413\u0443\u0441\u043b\u0438 - \u041e\u043b\u044c\u0433\u0430 \u0413\u043b\u0430\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430: \u0414\u0440\u0435\u043c\u043b\u0435\u0442 \u0417\u0435\u043c\u043b\u044f (\u0431\u0430\u0440 \u041c\u0443\u043d\u043a, \u043c\u0430\u0440\u0442 2023)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KLaWkyqV0Fo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">I also work with Olga [<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Glazova<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> \u2013 LC]. We started projects about five years ago. I recorded Olga in London with a woman who plays the Chinese flute. So, the Russian <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">gusli<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> and the Chinese flute came together. Hybrid again!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"><span class=\"s4\">And the traditional question: what advice would you give to young musicians who are just starting out?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\">I would say be true to yourself, no matter what you feel. Just be sincere! Of course, <\/span><span class=\"s3\">take into account<\/span><span class=\"s3\"> all the musical influences, but do it how you feel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">Obviously,<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> the situation is different now. The music business is a lot harder, it&#8217;s harder to make a living. So be open to other things. You can teach <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">music;<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\"> you can do mixes or <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">do the technical side of music<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">. Consider different directions. Also, most people use social <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">media now, use it to your advantage.<\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">But the main thing that separates millions of people who just think they <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">want to <\/span><span class=\"s3\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0em;\">make music from a real artist is authenticity.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gregg Kofi Brown is a Ghanaian musician, producer and songwriter who has been part of the legendary band Osibisa, the pioneers of the fusion of rock with African and Caribbean music for over four decades. In his solo career, Brown has worked with the likes of Sting, Des&#8217;ree, Gabrielle, Stanley Jordan and Billy Cobham, as well as Ed Sheeran, with whom he will release a track soon. LC spoke with Gregg about his creative journey and endeavours, and how important it is for a musician to be sincere and not lose oneself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":20362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,144,84],"tags":[],"type_post":[],"column":[],"class_list":["post-20410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-lifestyle","category-people"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20410"},{"taxonomy":"type_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type_post?post=20410"},{"taxonomy":"column","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/column?post=20410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}