Photo Credit: Femi Koleoso/Instagram
Martin Zubimendi is officially a Gunner! The Spanish midfielder has joined Arsenal on a long-term deal after 236 appearances for Real Sociedad, where he rose from academy talent to first-team mainstay. But what makes this unveiling even more exciting isn’t just the transfer, it’s the sound and soul behind it.
The announcement video by Arsenal opens with a shot of Zubimendi walking through a dimly lit tunnel, the kind of entrance that says something is brewing. Then the music kicks in. An original jazz composition, laced with rhythm and texture, begins to pulse beneath the visuals. It was composed by British-Nigerian drummer and Ezra Collective bandleader, Femi Koleoso.
If the name sounds familiar, it should. Femi is not only a celebrated jazz drummer and musical director for Jorja Smith, but he also leads Ezra Collective, the Brit Award-winning quintet known for fusing afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop, and jazz. The group, which includes bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon–Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and saxophonist James Mollison, was born out of the iconic Tomorrow’s Warriors jazz programme and has continued to reimagine what British jazz can sound and feel like.
Their recent single, “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing,” was selected by Barack Obama for his 2024 summer playlist. In 2025, they made history by becoming the first jazz band to win “Group of the Year” at the Brit Awards.
The video closes with Zubimendi standing tall as the words “And this one starts at the centre” fade in. In the final shot, Femi Koleoso walks over to embrace him with a warm, brotherly hug and says, “Welcome to north London, my guy.”
“Truly an honour to score the music and film this alongside the family at Arsenal,” Femi later shared on his Instagram.
