Ibibio Sound Machine

Eno Williams (vocals), Alfred Bannerman (guitar), Joseph Amoako (drums), Philip Klinogo (bass), Max Grunhard (sax), Tony Hayden (trombone, synth), Scott Baylis (trumpet, synth)

Formed in London, Ibibio Sound Machine has, since it began in 2013, been redefining the boundaries of Afro-funk and global dance music, creating a sound that is ancestral and futuristic. Born out of the collective vision of charismatic vocalist, Eno Williams, and multi-instrumentalist, Max Grunhard, the group boldly fuses the rhythmic heritage of African music, Nigerian highlife and Afrobeat with funk, disco, post-punk and contemporary electronica.

Born in London, Eno Williams grew up in the Ibibio region of south-eastern Nigeria, in a predominantly Christian culture where she was exposed not only to highlife music, but Nigerian gospel and many varieties of African and Western pop. Many of Ibibio Sound Machine's lyrics are in the Ibibio language, telling traditional stories with an appealing blend of morality and humour.

Their latest album, Pull the Rope (2024), is full of the hope, joy and sensuality that define their music, but the energy here is shifted into a different territory: we are taken from the brightness of a festival to the intense throb of a club that’s open until dawn; from the stages of Glastonbury to the best dance floors; from house, funk and disco to post-punk and Afrobeat. The album is a breath of hope and celebration over adversity. An invitation to share and imagine a better world. Through music.

Ibibio Sound Machine is not just a band: it is an intersection of culture, a rhythmic clash of tradition and modernity that goes beyond pure partying and conveys a message of unity and resistance. That spirit of connection permeates all their concerts, exhorting us to celebrate, to think, to dance.