Utrecht’s experimental festival has announced the first acts for its 2019 edition, including Dur-Dur Band, Ustad Saami, Ahmed ag Kaedy, Mélissa Laveaux, Idris Ackamoor, Ethiopian legend Ayalew Mesfin and more will join him at the Utrecht festival.
Taking place in the beautiful Dutch city of Utrecht, Le Guess Who? is dedicated to boundary-crossing music from all over the world, featuring avant-garde, jazz, hip hop, electronic, experimental, global sounds and other genres. The line-up consists of more than a hundred acts including world-exclusive live performances. A festival full of discoveries in a truly idyllic setting.
Le Guess Who? announced the exclusive European performance of legendary adept highlife singer, composer and instrumentalist, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, a show featuring the Sekondi Band, who has had successful European tours to keep the spirit and craft of Ghana’s golden age of pop alive.
The Sekondi Band is an eight member team that serves as a backing vocalist and instrumentalist to the Ghanaian highlife genre of music pioneer. It comprises of, Anim Karikari( Band Leader and Keyboardist), Philip Quacoo(Guitarist), Kwesi Arko Donkor(Bass Guitarist), Peter Mensah(Drummer), Shikome(Percussionist), Faat Colonel(Saxophonist), Kuuku Ansong(Trumpeter) and Osab(Trombonist)
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is a Ghanaian highlife musician, songwriter, producer, and composer. The first musician from Ghana to formally incorporate rap forms into local highlife rhythms, Ambolley created the musical genre Simigwa.
In June 2015 Ambolley received a citation in the USA from the City Council of Philadelphia, read by Council woman ; Honorable Jannie Blackwell and Hon. Stanley J. Staughter in recognition of the musician’s contributions to Ghanaian music in the USA.
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley was rather unknown outside of West Africa until Soundway Records included his seminal Simigwa-Do, which Ambolley released in 1973, on their first anthology, Ghana Soundz. Ambolley’s sound has led many to label him the godfather of hiplife, the fusion of the hip hop and highlife idioms.
Ambolley stood aside AL Threats at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. His song Simigua-do is considered the first rap in the world released in 1973. Ambolley, Sammy Lartey and Ebo Taylor are the few musicians who envisioned a future for high-life music in the late 60s and early 70s and helped transform the genre fusing high-life, funk and jazz music.
However, The festival’s curators have announced their specially curated programs, with Jenny Hval hosting Lolina, Sarah Davachi and Félicia Atkinson; The Bug hosting King Midas Sound, Godflesh and Mala; and Moon Duo hosting Nivhek, Michele Mecure and Bbymutha.
Patrick Higgins will bring Battles’ Tyondai Braxton, pianist Conrad Tao, Vicky Chow and Miranda Cuckson to the festival. The curated programs of Fatoumata Diawara and Iris van Herpen & Salvador Breed will be announced at a later date.
The festival will also feature special performances from Ustad Sammi, the last living master of khayál, an ancient precursor to the Islamic devotional music of qawwali, avant-jazz vocalist Asha Puthli and Ayalew Mesfin, accompanied by the Debo Band.
Notable announcements for the general lineup include Deerhunter, Nídia, Prison Religion, The Raincoats and Visible Cloaks featuring Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano.
Last April, the organisers have revealed their guest curators for this year. Grammy nominated malian artist Fatoumata Diawara, Jenny Hval, Patrick Higgins, The Bug, Moon Duo will curate their very own program at the festival. The curated list has not yet been announced but we’re sure it will be worth experiencing.
Le Guess Who? 2019 will take place from November 7 to November 10 at various venues across Utrecht. Day tickets for Le Guess Who? are on sale now. Tickets for the Thursday program are €43; tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are €48. 4-Day Festival Passes are available for €148. All prices include service costs. For more information, head over to the Le Guess Who? website
