Listen to African Head Charge live at Le Guess Who? 2023

Recordings

African Head Charge performed live on the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2023 following the release of their new album 'A Trip To Bolgatanga'. You can now relive the performance with the full audio of the show, which is assured to put a smile on anyone's face.

About
'A bad attitude is like a flat tire - you can't go anywhere until you change it'. So commences African Head Charge's new record 'A Trip To Bolgatanga' - their first in twelve years. The legendary dub-reggae ensemble's 2023 return is led by founder-member Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, assisted by collaborator Adrian Sherwood. After a hiatus, the 1981-founded band’s stunning comeback sees them return to the stage, with a line-up featuring original African Head Charge members. Currently, they fuse djembes, guitars, drums, keys and vocals with heavy electronic sampling and visuals. Their intoxicating live performance will certainly be a balm to anyone's bad attitude.

"Another act famed for their exceptionally beautiful craft and one of the most groundbreaking dub acts in history, African Head Charge, brings their triumphant mix of psychedelia, trance, afro, and tribal rhythms to the stage of TivoliVrendenburg’s Ronda. A long-running studio and live collaboration between English dub producer Adrian Sherwood and master Jamaican percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, the sprawling cast of musicians artfully dance between the 80s institution of tracks like “The Race”, taken from 1981’s My Life In A Hole In The Ground, through to this year’s A Trip to Bolgatanga with percussive-powered “I Am A Winner”. Noah insists that the vibrations from tonight’s set are “good for your heart, kidneys and lungs" and we're not about to argue" - The Arts Desk

Le Guess Who? Recordings
The publication of this recording is part of Le Guess Who?’s ongoing expansion of the festival’s recordings archive, with 80+ recordings from past editions now freely available online. It contains audio and/or video recordings of clipping., Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Marina Herlop, Arooj Aftab, OSEES, Deerhunter, Lightning Bolt, Suuns, Alabaster dePlume, Zwangere Guy, Duma, FLOHIO, The Microphones, Aldous Harding, Deerhunter, Gilla Band, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Neneh Cherry, Mount Eerie, Selda Bağcan and many more.

Recorded at TivoliVredenburg’s Ronda on Thursday, 9 November 2023

Audio recording by Vera Kraaijkamp
Mix by Marc Broer
Photography by Maarten Mooijman