Gestu Groupe

Gestu Groupe is an Afro-jazz band from Senegal.

Gëstu’, which means ‘research’ or ‘to deepen’ in Wolof, Senegal's traditional language, is a quintet inspired by European Jazz and modern African sounds. This young band which is based in Dakar has been founded by Ambroise Zinsou and Conny Schneider in 2017. The five band members originate from Senegal, Benin and Germany. 'Gëstu Groupe' recently played at the festival 'Jazz à Ouga', Burkina Faso, and the French Institute Dakar.

Their first album called ‘Alekle’, the name a traditional percussion instrument from Benin, contains eight original compositions and was produced and recorded in Dakar in 2018. ‘Gëstu’ develops and arranges their compositions collectively. The band mixes traditional rhythms from their respective countries with jazz, African sounds and of course a zest for groove and melodies. Gestu presently works on a second album which features two songs with Cheikh Lô and Orchestra Baobab. They want to realize their dream of a peaceful and productive co-existence of cultures.