Kuku

Art in the cafe...

Members of Red Pine


"Permutations of Red Pine"


September 2026



A Red Pine tree was planted at the corner of 212 Merry Street in the late 60s that evolved over the decades into a cooperative household. We are making it a place for comity and creativity; Clarity and the imagination; we change detritus of early 21st century late stage capitalism into art, shrine, paintings, music, sculptures, urban Permaculture and homesteading experiments. We appreciate the used, the worn out, ever crumbling and reassembling; as we all are all the time.
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Friday, August 15, 2008

A native of Nigeria, World Soul artist KUKU grew up listening to the assorted sounds of American soul, folk, and jazz music, as well as, sweet African rhythms. KUKU moved to the US in 1993 to attend college and serve in the US Army. During a 2002 open-mic show, he picked up a guitar for the first time. After teaching himself to play, KUKU began building an enthusiastic fan-base. In 2005 "Love Sessions, a home recorded EP, was completed. It has gone on to sell more than 4,000 copies. The next year, KUKU released his first full-length recording, "Unexpected Pleasures", and in 2007, in only two hours, he recorded "The Absence of Cool", a suite of live songs with just an acoustic guitar.

Hailed as "the African Music Medicine Man," this DC-based troubadour has been touring extensively for the past four years. KUKU's captivating live performances feature an effortless blend of Yoruba and English languages. Fans have described KUKU as the perfect mix of Bill Withers, Terry Callier, and King Sunny Ade and labeled his sound as the beautifully arranged "Afro-soul Acoustic Experience.---

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