By Joe Gorecki, Deputy Music Editor
Ibibio Sound Machine brought their unashamedly joyous blend of Afro-disco to the Trinity Centre, writes Deputy Music Editor Joe Gorecki
Blending kinetic synth grooves and the tightest afrobeat rhythms, Ibibio Sound machine knows how to create an revelrous atmosphere that invites the audience to share in the sheer joy created on-stage – and at the Trinity Centre they did. From the opening track ‘Sweet Like Sugar’, the group enraptured the audience so much that you couldn’t not join in and dance.
Ibibio Sound Machine’s arrival on the scene has coincided with a wider resurgence in disco as seen by tracks from artists like Mitski and Kacey Musgraves but also night outs showcasing the successes of DJs’ crate-digging to find forgotten ‘70s gems. But they are different, blending disco and synths with afrobeat creating a cross-cultural synthesis of sounds where cultures mix that is completely their own and unashamedly joyous. Their music isn’t only what sets them apart: many of the songs are also bilingual featuring lyrics in the Nigerian language Ibibio which gave the band its name.
While the band’s set began frenetically, they also crucially know how much is too much with such high-tempo songs. Four songs in, they slowed the tempo but lost none of the energy or enthusiasm for ‘The Chant (Iquo Isang)’. While still ‘lower tempo’, frontwoman Eno Williams invited the sections of the audience to join in for the catchy chorus. The song also demonstrated the polymath talents of the band where the trio of synth players also doubled as the brass section, which injected an added vibrancy and colour to the band’s sound.
The group itself, numbering eight members, took up the whole stage surrounding Williams in the middle, who was clad in an incredible ornately-patterned caped jumpsuit which added to the band’s wider afrofuturist aesthetic. One of the highlight of the gig, which led to the group’s intense strength was their tight precision as group. Standing out, particularly, was lead guitarist Alfred Kari Bannerman who simply exuded charisma through his playing, matched by percussionist Anselmo Netto, whose enthusiasm and beaming smile shone throughout.
Most of the band left the stage for ‘I Know That You’re Thinking About Me’ leaving just Williams and Netto on stage for an intimate performance that proved the strength of the songwriting didn’t just rest on the talent of the wider group. After this, however, the band delivered the one-two punch of ‘Tell Me (Doko Mien)’, lead single of the newly released Doko Mien and ‘Give Me A Reason’ from 2017’s Uyai. These brought back the infectiously revelrous atmosphere and raised the gig’s intensity back to its previously stratospheric levels.
The set closed with ‘Basquiat’, the group’s acerbic funk-driven tribute to the eponymous artist which rounded off a dazzling set. Ibibio Sound Machine create frenetic joyous atmospheres as only they can, their stellar grooves shining through until the lights come up and beyond.
Featured Image: Harry Goldsmith / Epigram
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