The drummer for multi award-winning jazz band Ezra Collective took an assembly this morning at his former school, St Matthew’s

Femi gives a drumming demonstration at St Matthew’s CofE Primary School

A Brit Award winner headed back to his old school in Ponders End this morning (Monday 24th) – to help inspire the musicians of the future.

Star jazz drummer Femi Koleoso, part of Ezra Collective, was the special guest at St Matthew’s CofE Primary School, where he himself was once a pupil.

Addressing the whole school, Femi said that he has played all over the world “but few things I have done are as special as coming back here”.

Femi was a St Matthew’s pupil between 1999 and 2006, and some of his former teachers are even still working at the South Street primary. He is also a former pupil of Enfield Grammar School.

“I am exactly the same as you,” the Mercury Music Prize winner told the enthralled assembly, “I grew up in Ponders End, I went to church, I have Nigerian parents.

“I started playing the drums when I was in reception, when I was four or five, and when I was in year six for the first time I got the chance to play the drums in assembly. Then after university, it became my job.”

Femi sat down to play at a drum kit that he later revealed he would be donating to the school, along with some drumsticks.

He even invited some pupils to help him keep rhythm by hitting the floor tom.

Femi said: “Every one of you is very special and you all have something special that you can do, but you have to be confident to let your light shine. When I was your age I practised all the time, and that’s what gave me confidence.

“I think the most important people in the world are teachers, the reason I can play the drums like I can is because someone taught me.”

Taking questions from his enthralled audience, Femi was asked what it was like winning a Brit Award earlier this month, to which he replied: “It was really cool because I used to watch it on TV, so we wore our fancy clothes and my parents were there to watch us.”

He was also asked by one pupil how difficult it was to become a professional musician, to which Femi replied: “Sometimes in music it can be very expensive to get the equipment and I didn’t grow up with a lot of money, so it was difficult.”

Femi then revealed he was donating the drum kit to the school, and that he would try to get some free tickets for pupils to come and watch one of his next gigs.

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