Ibibio Sound Machine
Dave’s Stage (Main Stage), Saturday 2019
Ibibio refers to a native language of people living in the south of Nigeria, which is where lead singer Eno Williams grew up, though she was born in the UK. Together with her seven fellow band members, Ibibio Sound Machine reflect a whole raft of influences from West African electronic music and highlife to jazz, disco, electronic, funk and post-punk. They crack apart the horizon separating cultures, between nature and technology, between joy and pain, creating exciting collages of genre.
The band's second album Uyai meaning ‘beauty’, had storytelling deep at the heart and focussed on power and the liberation of women. In a new departure, their latest album Doko Mien includes English lyrics as well as Ibibio.
We wanted to give people a reason to sing along, to find their soundtrack every day
, Williams says. We wanted everyone to feel as if they’re part of the music as well.
Ibibio Sound Machine manage to be true to their African roots and honour traditions while charging confidently forward toward the future and it's an uplifting, powerful and unforgettable experience to watch them in their element on stage.