Cochemea

Best known for his work with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Cochemea Gastelum is a New York-based multi-instrumentalist and arranger who first established himself as an integral member of Brooklyn's rising Afrobeat and soul scene in the mid-2000s. A regular collaborator with key ensembles like Antibalas and the Budos Band, Cochemea became known as a versatile player and go-to sessionman for a wide variety of acts including Amy Winehouse, Public Enemy, Lady Gaga, Archie Shepp, and Aaron Neville. Following his genre-bending 2010 debut as a bandleader, The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow, he was a central part of the Dap-Kings' Grammy-nominated 2014 LP Give the People What They Want, and later returned to solo work with 2019's All My Relations, a jazz/world fusion album exploring his indigenous roots. A companion piece, Vol. 2: Baca Sewa, appeared in 2021 and Cochemea completed this trilogy with 2025's Vol. 3: Ancestros Futuros.