Meet the Band

ELIKEH is a band that performs its own brand of African Roots music. The material is a combination of traditional rhythms from Togo and 70′s Afrofunk.

The message in the songs is mainly about justice, peace and unity

The group’s leader Massama Dogo was born in Togo and developed his deft singing and songwriting ability performing with several local bands. He also acted as musical director of the University Ochestra in Togo from 1998 to 2000.

Other members of the band bring a wide range of musical experience:

Drummer Tosin Aribisala toured with Femi Kuti for three years, as well as recording with many acts including Talib Kweli..

Master percussionist Joseph Ngwa worked with Grammy nominee Cheick Hamala Diabate,and continues to teach drums to children in Washington, DC.

Click on Upcoming Shows for your next chance to catch this group live!

The Musicians of ELIKEH:

Serge “Massama” Dogo – lead vocals & guitar
Born and raised in Togo, Massama developed his deft songwriting ability beginning with several high school bands playing reggae ,pop, rock in Lome. While at the Universite du Benin (Lome), Massama acted as musical director of the University Orchestra from ’97 – ’99. Upon his arrival in the US in 2000, he began performing with various groups in the DC area.

Michael Shereikis – guitar & vocals
Michael learned to play African style guitar while living in the Central African Republic and in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) in the 90s. He is a founding member of the Ivoirian group Zieti and is currently producing their debut release in the US for Rootstock Productions. In addition to Elikeh, Michael gigs and records with several groups in the Washington DC area, including the Afrofunk Big Band Chopteeth.

Clayton Englar – sax & flute, vocals
Clayton has been playing sax since the age of 12. Living in San Francisco during the 1970′s he studied with the late saxophonist Joe Henderson, and played with and co-led a variety of bands, including the jazz/fusion quartet Thursday Group – with which he recorded and co-produced 2 albums shortly after moving to the Washington, D.C. area in 1980. Since then Clayton has played actively with an eclectic mix of groups, including his own Windmill Saxophone Quartet, the jazz/world/fusion sextet Equinox, and the Con Moto Flute and Guitar Duo. He has produced 3 albums with Windmill and 1 with Equinox – including 2 on his own label, Global View Music.

Scott Aronson – bass
Scott was born in Long Island, NY and moved to DC full time in 1996. He has been playing the bass since the age of 15 up and down the East Coast. Scott is a founding and current member of the Wammie Award winning DC alt power pop band, Bicycle Thieves, which has been together since 1996.  He has also served as bass player for top Togolese pop star, King Mensah, when he has played the in the area. Influences include Jack Bruce, Sting, Geddy Lee, Victor Wooten and Charles Mingus. Scott believes in the old adage: you can’t hold no groove, if you ain’t got no pocket!

Joseph “Papa Jo” Ngwa – Percussion

Joseph is a master percussion player. He performed for many years with the Grammy nominee Cheick Hamala Diabate and teaches drums to children of various ages in different schools. Joseph’s playing is always infused with vitality, joy and passion.

Aaron Pratts – trumpet

Aaron is a native of Southern California and has been playing trumpet since he was 9 years old.  During Aaron’s formative years in Los Angeles he studied with Buddy Collette co-founder of JazzAmerica.Throughout school there were virtually no bands that Aaron did not play with – symphonic, marching, orchestra, and jazz and wind ensembles. In 1999, Aaron was awarded the John Phillips Sousa Band Award for superior musicianship, dependability, loyalty, and cooperation and Brass Instrumentalist of the Year in 1997 and 1998.In San Diego Aaron played with San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Jazz Ensembles for over 4 years.  Aaron brings all this experience to Elikeh’s horn section, and has been a member of the band since early 2009.

Tosin Aribisala – drums
The Nigerian drummer has performed, recorded and toured with such mainstream acts as Julie Dexter, Femi Kuti, Talib Kwali, Taj Mahal, D’Angelo and Yerba Buena, to name a few, as well as leader of his own group, HalleluJazz Project. Tosin has fully come into his own with his second album, “Mean What U Say – Da Drum Monologue Project”, which is a follow-up to his successful debut, “What’s On Your Mind”.

Megan Nortrup – saxophone

Megan is a Maryland native who has been playing the saxophone since an early age. She earned an undergraduate degree in music at the University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign, where she studied with Debra Richtmeyer and Ron Bridgewater. She has toured nationally and internationally and is a veteran of the DC Funk Squad, the Claudius Linton band, and numerous other groups.

As a saxophonist, Megan draws inspiration from some of the great jazz players of the 20^th century including Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and the Caribbean side of Sonny Rollins. Megan is the newest addition to the Elikeh horn section and her solid and energetic playing really fill out the band’s sound.