Ankora is a London based, eight-piece ensemble composed of Kezia Abuoma, Tami Adebanjo, Keira Chakraborty, Hannah Clifton, Klara Devlin, Aleks Dimitrova, Miranda Radford and Mali Sheard. Meeting at the hailed music organisation ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors’, these ambitious young musicians were previously selected to perform as the band ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline’, under the tutelage of acclaimed drummer and composer, Romarna Campbell. Ankora is the exciting new step the ensemble are taking to launch into the London jazz scene.
The name ‘Ankora’ is derived from the Latin word for ‘anchor’ (anchora): a symbol of groundedness, hope and a connection to roots. These connotations are expressed through their repertoire of both originals and covers of powerful jazz tunes. The name links to an alternative meaning in Italian, ‘again’, marking the momentum of their rebirth as they continue their musical and artistic journey.
The band's influences include the legacies of Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, while branching out to the more contemporary mastery of Esperanza Spalding, Geri Allen, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Kenny Kirkland. The ensemble takes inspiration from the spark and power of these jazz legends, compositionally and in their playing.
Ankora have already made their mark on the jazz scene through performances at venues such as Love Supreme Jazz Festival, We Out Here, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, The Vortex, The Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival and The Jazz Café. Ready for more, the unique, powerful voice of the ensemble is excited to embrace the wonder and diversity of today's jazz scene.
This performance is part of our Generation Jazz 2.0 series of gigs, showcasing brilliant young jazz musicians across the summer and autumn of 2026. Discounted ticket pricing applies for those under 25, students, and universal credit beneficiaries.
“The line-up is clearly something of a powerhouse. [...] Everything they played seemed to fizz and sparkle; every tiny detail was polished to a gleam.”
“Ankora round things off in style. The all-female octet has richly layered orchestration – two trumpets, saxophone, flute, guitar, keyboard – and makes an impact due to the clever scoring of the brass and woodwinds...While flautist Keira Chakraborty and guitarist Tami Adebanjo impress as soloists, the ensemble voice is the draw here.”
“This really was an impressive performance from Ankora. The standard of the musicianship was exceptional for such young players, and the quality of the original writing was also consistently impressive.”
Doors 7pm / Music 8.30pm / Tickets £16.50 / £10.50 for members/ £5 concessions
Very limited seating - all tables are first come first served.