Location

Buckinghamshire, London, Exeter

Specialisms

Holistic Folk-Jazz, Chant, Soprano, Alt Percussion, Nomadic Psychedelic-Folk, Bird-call wooden flute

Additional information

A female-presenting Black person.

Jala-Jala (Kafayat Adegoke) is a Trauma-Informed Music and Arts Producer, and Unseen Disabilities Educator.
As a performer, she is a Folk-Jazz Musician, Harmonica DJ, Percussion Dancer, Theatre maker, and Orìsha Arts specialist.
She was voice performer for Euro Talk UK, the voice segment for the London Beach Rugby, and the narrator of the Centre for Applied Social Research ‘Asylum in Art photo-narrative exhibition’.

As a cultural leader, she co-founded the Yorkshire Producing Collective commissioned by Arts Council England and Absolutely Cultured Hull, played a key role in the UK City of Culture 2025 win of the Bradford district, cultural representative for the Leeds 2023 Flag (European Capital of Culture), and is on the Creative Catalyst Leadership programme with Bucks Culture.

For Jala-Jala, making sound and melody using natural vocal chords is a community-binding strategy, and a mode of finding commonality globally. Plus, to be merry, and devise shenanigans – like the Kegites, under the umbrella of art!
Her work is often informed by academic research, in the mix with humane lived experience. A sense of taste, smell and touch.

Motivated by the obvious fragile accessibility progress in the creative arts space, Jala-Jala was on the Arts Council England; North Area Council Dev.,  and has since worked with BBC Radio 6’s Giles Peterson-curated We Out Here Festival in Dorset; where she supports young people Jazz music charities Tomorrow’s Warriors, Abram Wilson Foundation, and Future Bubblers, to enhance access provisions for the musicians, producing detailed guidance and seeing to their creative needs.

During her many tour travels, Jala-Jala enjoys collecting multifaceted stories, and songs, all of which form part of her influences .e.g. Isla Cameron (Irish), Korean Folklore, Kofi Ghanaba – Guy Warren (Ghanaian), Newen Afrobeat (Chilé), Samara Joy (American), Sarathy Korwar (Indian), Obongjayar (Nigerian-British), Sola Akingbola (Jamiroquai Band Percussionist), Benge (British).
As a character-actor, she embraces the works of Helena Bonham Carter, Lolly Adefope, Simon Farnaby, Jennifer Coolidge, Josh O’Connor, Ryan Sampson, and 50Cent.

She is currently expanding her teachings in music & dance, and advocacy work by combining lived experience, sector knowledge, and cross-cultural insight to champion equity and sustainability in the music and arts industry. While proudly pissing on the conventions of traditional agency by pushing her voice in undoing gatekeeping, to deliver real diversity – not race (as popular opinion seems to only relate that phrase to), but also inclusive of access for all creatives living with unseen disabilities. Kafayat believes it is time to develop a new narrative around equality, away from deficit models.
With a desire to elevate archaic mindsets, she strategically crafts her teachings and performances in a thoughtful and improvisational manner, so that there is something for everyone.