Following the widespread success of their eponymous debut album on London record label Elsden Music, award winning pianist and composer Yakir Arbib and Cameroonian virtuoso drummer and vocalist Conti Bilong, collectively known as Afro Baroque, present their new single Caravan, alongside a live launch at Crazy Coq’s venue in the heart of Piccadilly, London.
The first version of the song Caravan was recorded in Hollywood in 1936 and performed as an instrumental by Barney Bigard and His Jazzopators. The featured musicians were members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, which often split into smaller combinations to record songs under different band names. For this recording, which included Ellington and Tizol as performers, the nominal session band leader was Bigard. As of 2024 this is the most covered song in history, with over 500 versions published.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravan
So the question is, with over 500 recordings of the same song do we really need yet another? Well, when the resulting recording is as exhilarating as I believe this one to be … then I have to say yes!
The Afro Baroque re-interpretation of Caravan is similar only in melody, with an inimitable vibe that only its two protagonists could ever create. It is fortified by the duo’s collective philosophy:
now more than ever, we need connections, bridges, and strands of colour and beauty that connect opposite cultures, traditions, languages and religions together from across the world. Afro Baroque’s music is exactly that! We connect seemingly diametrically opposed worlds: the studious European counterpoint on one side, and the unstoppable force of joy, rhythm and dance coming from Africa on the other.
Yakir Arbib
Afro Baroque’s debut album was released October 2025 (it does not feature Caravan) and after hearing the soon to be released single I just had to check it out: I was not disappointed (Stuck in Dagestan the standout track for me)! I find this duo exciting to listen to and thoroughly enjoy their fusion of jazz, baroque, and African musical styles. The single gets it launch at Crazy Coqs on Tuesday, 19 May and I have booked myself a ticket – I will let you know how it all went after the event.
SimplyJazzTalk 