GAIKA: Power Up Music Creator
GAIKA
Grime
Gaika is an underground experimental artist from Brixton, who seamlessly weaves musical motifs, vocal flows and slangs of UK, US and Caribbean music. He was previously part of the Manchester-based rap crew Murkage, before starting his solo career releasing the mixtapes “Machine”, “Security”, and “Spaghetto” in 2015 and 2016, before releasing his debut album “Basic Volume” on WARP to critical acclaim in July 2018, followed by the mixtape “Heaters 4 The 2 Seaters” in 2019, and his most recent album “Serguridad” via Mexican label NAAFI in 2020.
“Basic Volume” was accompanied by the exhibition and event series “System” celebrating Caribbean music, art and culture in collaboration with Boiler Room and Somerset House. Other art projects include a collaboration with grime producer Elijah and visual artists Haroon Mirza and Jack Jeffs for Brighton Festival, a piece for the “Get Up, Stand Up Now” exhibition in Somerset House, and a commission for the British Art Show.
In 2019 he composed the score for “Aisha and Abhaya”, a dance show directed by his brother Kibwe Tavares and produced by The Royal Ballet and Rambert, and contributed to the soundtrack for the BBC series “Noughts & Crosses”.
He has toured extensively across the UK and across Europe, the United States, Russia, China, and Japan. His most recent headline show in London was to a near-sold out Roundhouse, where he collaborated with a 10 piece jazz ensemble led by Jason Yarde, accompanied by live visuals. He is also political editor-at-large for Dazed Magazine.
“I’m hugely excited to be a part of Power Up – a really important and groundbreaking initiative that is truly empowering. I can’t wait be a part of this movement.” GAIKA