Each year, Le Guess Who? invites trailblazing creatives to curate their own dedicated programs, highlighting their inspirations, emerging acts and fellow like-minded artists, with an emphasis on discovery and exploration. Touching Bass, a London-based musical movement founded by Errol and Alex Rita, was one of the guest curators for Le Guess Who? 2024.
As a guest curator, Alex Rita showcased Calm Roots, a program that highlights meditative music, jazz spirituality and dub poetry. Photographer 36framez was present to capture the program in the beautiful Jacobikerk (St. James’ Church).
Calm Roots was born on NTS as a regular exploration of the most meditative tones within Alex’s record collection. It resonated with listeners globally to such a degree that now it has morphed into a multi-faceted practice through a synthesis of live performance, DJ sets, and holistic health.
The program at Le Guess Who? was focused on the meditative power of music featuring pianist, composer, and producer Lionmilk, who is at home in the prospering electronic underground scene and the expansive local jazz community, and Cameroonian-born and Paris-based artist Astrønne.
Furthermore, performing as part of the program were afromerm, the solo project of composer, sound artist, and poet Cecilia Morgan, together with London-based flautist and producer YUIS; the Mississippi avant-garde trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, creative composer and performer Wadada Leo Smith together with his grandson Lamar Smith; and Alex Rita who presented a DJ set with live poetry by Rohan Ayinde.
View the full photo series
Photography by 36framez
