Shabaka

A jazz concert by Shabaka, the British multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and producer, at The Castle and Falcon in Birmingham, drawing on the recent solo album Of The Earth.

Shabaka is a British musician who plays several instruments, leads bands and works as a producer. Their music moves between jazz, electronic, spiritual and diasporic traditions, and has widened how jazz and experimental music are heard in Britain and beyond. Earlier projects associated with the name include Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, whose work leans towards dance-driven rhythm.

The album Of The Earth, released in 2026, was written, performed, produced and mixed entirely by Shabaka. Much of it was made while travelling, using portable instruments and production tools. Looping rhythmic patterns underpin broad, choral-like melodies played mainly on alto flute, with saxophone also featured. The record joins rhythmic drive, textural depth and melodic openness, following the quieter, breath-led solo work of the earlier period.

This concert is given by Shabaka at The Castle and Falcon, a Birmingham venue that hosts concerts and shows. It offers a chance to hear the solo direction of a musician whose career has centred on jazz and its connections to other traditions.