Ireke? Sugar cane in Yoruba. Like her, the duo loves tropical climates and intoxicating rhythms, quick to liberate the bodies gathered on a dancefloor. Afrobeat urgency, funk suppleness, dub alchemy, highlife jubilation: with Tropikadelic, Ireke summons the heritage of the masters and the audacity of machines to give life to new sonic territories. At the crossroads. For the love of groove. Ireke is the collaboration between multi-instrumentalists Julien Gervaix and Damien Tesson, whose shared love of Afro-Latin rhythms, jazz, funk, dub and French chanson has led to a uniquely hybrid sound.
Drawing from a wide range of influences—including Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, highlife, reggae, and vintage tropical grooves—the duo takes its name from the Yoruba word for sugar cane.
Their album Tropikadelic, released by Underdog Records in 2023, brings together musicians from across the Francophone world. With roots in collective improvisation and years spent in West African, Caribbean and French music circles, Ireke approaches groove as both a cultural bridge and a communal practice.