Kishon Khan

Lore & Background

Khan grew up in North London and began classical piano training at age 4, turning to jazz as a teenager. After graduating from the University of East Anglia, he traveled to Cuba, where he lived on and off and became interested in Afro-Cuban music. He cited Cuban bass player Enrique Diaz as a critical inspiration, working with Diaz to combine African, South Asian, and Cuban musical traditions.

In 1999, Khan founded the Afro-Cuban funk jazz band Motimba, which fused the Cuban 'Timba' movement with London's Latin scene. Motimba's lineup included Justin Thurgur, Graeme Flowers, and others; the band was signed by Iris Music and released its debut album Monkey Vibrations in 2003. In 2006, Khan established Lokkhi Terra, a world music group blending Bangladeshi, African, and Latin American traditions.

Reader's Guide

Kishon Khan's significance lies in his role as a cross-cultural musical bridge, particularly between South Asian and Afro-Cuban traditions. Through Motimba and Lokkhi Terra, he brought together musicians from diverse backgrounds and gained critical acclaim, with Lokkhi Terra's album Che Guava's Rickshaw Diaries praised by The Sunday Times Magazine for encapsulating 21st-century London. His work with the label Funkiwala Records, co-founded with Justin Thurgur, and collaborations with groups like Soothsayers and Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura, further cemented his influence in the global jazz and world music scenes. Khan's legacy includes a discography spanning over a decade, with albums such as CUBANGLA (2020) hailed by BBC Radio 2's John Armstrong as 'their crowning glory to date'. His role as Professor of Practice at SOAS University of London also underscores his contribution to music education.

Did You Know?

• Khan set up the Afro-Cuban funk jazz band Motimba in 1999.
• Lokkhi Terra's debut album No Visa Required was released in 2010 on Funkiwala Records, a label Khan co-founded.
• The collaboration between Lokkhi Terra and Dele Sosimi evolved into the independent group CubAfrobeat.

Early Life & Musical Formation

Kishon Khan was born on 1 August 1970 and raised in North London, where his musical journey began at the tender age of four with classical piano instruction. However, it was not the conservatory path that ultimately defined him. As a teenager, Khan gravitated toward jazz, a shift that would shape his entire artistic identity. After completing his studies at the University of East Anglia, he made a formative trip to Cuba, a country he would return to live on and off over the years. It was there that his fascination with Afro-Cuban music took root. Khan has spoken about how musical exchange between nations can be 'truly incredible,' and he found a kindred spirit in Cuban bassist Enrique Diaz. Together, the two musicians explored ways to weave African, South Asian, and Cuban traditions into a single dialogue. This period of cross-cultural immersion laid the groundwork for everything Khan would go on to build in his career, from his fusion bands to his academic work.

Motimba & the Afro-Cuban Fusion Era

In 1999, Khan assembled Motimba, an Afro-Cuban funk jazz ensemble that married the emerging Timba movement out of Cuba with the vibrant Latin music scene taking shape in London. The band's roster featured a rich mix of instrumentalists: Justin Thurgur on trombone, Graeme Flowers on trumpet, Oreste Noda on percussion, Jimmy Martinez on bass, Javier Camillo on vocals, Phil Dawson on guitar, and Tansay Ibrahim on drums. Motimba's rapid rise earned them a signing with the independent French label Iris Music, and in 2003 they released their debut album, Monkey Vibrations. The publication Straight No Chaser Magazine hailed the group as 'ground-breaking,' a testament to how fresh their sonic blend felt at the time. The band also shared stages with major acts, including support slots for the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and the Gipsy Kings. For Khan, Motimba represented a crucial chapter in translating his Cuban experiences into a living, collaborative London-based project.

Lokkhi Terra & the Bangladeshi-Afro-Cuban Fusion

In 2006, Khan launched Lokkhi Terra, a world music collective that fused Bangladeshi musical traditions with African and Latin American sounds. Songlines magazine went so far as to call it 'the world's best Afrobeat-Cuban-Bangladeshi group.' The ensemble featured Bengali vocalists Sohini Alam, Aanon Siddiqua, and Aneire Khan, alongside several members who had played in Motimba. Their debut performance took place at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the band went on to headline at WOMAD, Ronnie Scott's, the Barbican Centre, and even the opening ceremony of the South Asian Games. In 2010, Khan and trombonist Justin Thurgur founded Funkiwala Records, through which Lokkhi Terra released No Visa Required. Their 2012 follow-up, Che Guava's Rickshaw Diaries, drew widespread praise; the Sunday Times Magazine noted that its 'multicultural settings effortlessly encapsulate 21st-century London.' The project continued evolving with Bangla Rasta (2016), CUBAFROBEAT (2018), and CUBANGLA (2020), the latter earning a glowing review from BBC Radio 2's Viva Latino presenter John Armstrong, who called it 'their crowning glory to date.'

Broader Collaborations & Academic Role

Beyond his own bands, Khan has maintained a remarkably wide collaborative footprint. He is an in-demand session pianist in London and has contributed to projects spanning Afrobeat, reggae, and Latin production. His work with the Soothsayers, a London-based Afrobeat and reggae-influenced band, and his involvement in Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura—a curated collection of Latin productions—demonstrate his comfort across genres. The collaboration between Lokkhi Terra and Nigerian musician Dele Sosimi, born from the 2018 album CUBAFROBEAT, grew into its own independent group called CubAfrobeat, which released the single 'Eni Agee' in 2022. Khan's discography also includes contributions to albums by Bukky Leo & Black Egypt, Cornell Campbell, and Justin Thurgur, spanning from 2001 through 2023. Alongside his performing and producing work, Khan holds the title of Professor of Practise at SOAS University of London, bringing his decades of cross-cultural musical experience into an academic setting.