Rhythms of Return: Kelechi Uzoho Electrifies Ogbako Ndi Igbo Iri Ji Festival 2024

By Yinka Olatunbosun

In the heart of Bradford, at the expansive Life Church Auditorium, the 2024 edition of the Ogbako Ndi Igbo UK and Ireland Iri Ji Festival—held on Saturday, 24th of August 2024— unfolded as both a sacred ritual and a spectacle of diasporic pride.

Yet, amidst masquerades, ceremonial yam presentations, and traditional blessings, one name resonated with acclaim: Kelechi Uzoho, leader of the De Royal Live Band and one of the festival’s standout cultural voices.

His live set was not just musical— it was ritualistic in depth, theatrical in delivery, and ancestral in tone. With a voice that echoed age-old village square chants and instrumentation that merged keyboard, drums, and highlife guitar riffs, he transported the audience— many of them second-generation Igbos— into an emotional homeland.

“Kelechi doesn’t just perform music; he invokes identity. It was one of those rare moments where a song becomes a ceremony, and a stage becomes an altar.”

His performance featured a curated medley of harvest songs, ancestral praise chants, and interactive call-and-response pieces— all wrapped in the warmth of traditional highlife. Even guests unfamiliar with Igbo traditions were seen clapping and dancing, enveloped in the communal rhythm.

Beyond the stage, Kelechi played a vital leadership role as a member of the Local Organizing Committee, ensuring the cultural authenticity of the event’s programming and its artistic integrity.

In a post-performance interview, Kelechi reflected on the significance of the event:

“This festival isn’t just about the yam; it’s about reminding our children where they come from. Music helps us preserve what memory alone can’t hold.”

His artistry and leadership mark him as a central figure in the evolving narrative of Igbo diasporic culture in the UK—a musician not only safeguarding tradition but reimagining it for the next generation.