The album release will be supported by a European tour scheduled for autumn and winter 2025, as Oneness of Juju steps back onto the stage to introduce their renewed sound to a new generation.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
Legendary Afro-jazz collective Oneness of Juju are set to release their first international album in over three decades. Titled Made Through Ritual, the forthcoming album is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2025, via Strut Records.
Formed in the early 1970s, Oneness of Juju made their mark through the seminal African Rhythms in 1975, a collaboration between saxophonist James “Plunky” Branch and the late DJ and jazz distributor, Jimmy Gray, under their independent label, Black Fire Records. Now, 50 years later, Made Through Ritual bridges past and present as Plunky teams up with his son, Jamiah “Fire” Branch, and Gray’s son, Jamal Gray, to reimagine the group’s spiritual and sonic legacy.
The album was born out of a unique creative process. Jamal constructed demo tracks from jazz samples, which Plunky then reinterpreted through live instrumentation, inviting a full band to explore themes of reconstruction, improvisation, and layered storytelling. “The process became a ritualistic expression of creativity and transformation”, Plunky shared.
The album release will be supported by a European tour scheduled for autumn and winter 2025, as Oneness of Juju steps back onto the stage to introduce their renewed sound to a new generation.