Jokkoo Collective derives its name from the Wolof word for "connection," a Senegalese language, and their practice embodies this concept. Bringing together diverse energies, aesthetics, and forms of expression, the collective engages with experimental Black music and multidisciplinary creation. United by Pan-African ancestry and futures, Jokkoo Collective connects with global communities of Pan-African creators. Their work is deeply rooted in Africa, where their dreams and loved ones reside. It is the source of their pasts and futures, shaping the core of their creative vision. Jokkoo’s sonic landscapes draw from spirituality, imagination, and the pursuit of freedom. Their music serves as a form of healing for those who feel isolated in what they describe as the "Babylonic delusion"—a chaotic world where privilege silences the diversity of voices.
fig. 1
Their sound transcends national borders, creating a space—existing in the liminal spaces between nations. Jokkoo Collective views music as a web of connections, a map of reflections, fusions, and hybridizations that cross time and space. As members of the diaspora, they constantly wrestle with the concept of belonging, and music becomes a force that fills the voids in their journeys. It is an invisible thread that links them to their people, creating a sacred sense of home, no matter the distance. For Manifesta 15, Jokkoo Collective teamed up with cantdefine.me—a creative duo of African heritage—and Abya Yala, whose audiovisual practice serves as a safe space for imagination. Together, they developed a project with videography and post-production by cantdefine.me, who introduced Jokkoo to the film’s protagonists: Traoré, Nina, and Souleymane, three young people of West African descent living in Barcelona. Jokkoo invited these individuals to guide them through their metal recycling processes and collaborate in recording and repurposing sounds and images from their daily routes.
fig. 2
The result, Sonido Invisible, is a two-channel audiovisual installation created in collaboration with Barcelona’s metal-recycling communities—people often denied their basic human rights to work and housing upon arriving in Europe, many of whom come from the African diaspora. This piece glimpses into the friendship and creative collaboration between Jokkoo Collective, cantdefine.me, and the three young individuals. It reflects the merging of worlds: the daily search for value in the city's discarded objects and the creative process of sonic recycling. Together, they explore ways of perceiving, moving through, and transforming the raw materials of the urban environment, celebrating resilience and creativity through their shared work. In Sonido Invisible, Jokkoo Collective and cantdefine.me seek to raise awareness about communities denied basic human rights upon their arrival in Europe. They hope to inspire others to take the time to share space, exchange ideas, and foster meaningful connections with these communities.
\\
- IMAGE CREDITS
Cover: Jokkoo audiovisual performance at Sonar 2024, Foto credit: serahboo.m, Copyright:CC
fig. 1: An event programmed and built by Jokkoo and cantdefine.me, Foto credit: srrahboo.m, Copyright: CC
fig. 2: Multidisciplinary collaborative installation and performance in Basel by Jokkoo Collective, Foto credit: Nadia Fistarol, Copyright: CC
