Le Guess Who? is a ticket-less, city-wide celebration in Utrecht, The Netherlands set to take place on November 7-10, 2019. It is described as a festival that still stands out as one of the best in free-thinking, diversity and genre-blurring. This is the 13th edition of the festival which is a celebration of global sounds and musical boundary-crossing. They market the festival to locales early in advance with the goal to get the city out to enjoy music, they promote from the bottom up instead of with the goal to sell tickets. The show is free.
Spanning four days in Utrecht, there will be over 150 performances ready to electrify venues, theaters, churches, galleries and warehouses. Satellite events with music, film, visual art, photography and markets appear at cafés, hotels, restaurants, wharf cellars, de Neude square and the hidden corners of the city. The show has been described as a force for good which brings people together. Another reviewer said the festival is open-minded and open-hearted.
The festival producers are Ian Brennan and Glitterbeat Records’ Chris Eckman. The festival’s focus is to share dozens and dozens of artists to the city, in an effort to represent the unrepresented. The focus of art is to represent the voice of the people. With so many people on the planet, we tend to focus on 1,000 bands only and there is so much more. Much music for the world has been represented by the west (English) yet in this festival, they share various cultures and influences to the people in an effort to celebrate diversity in the world.
In essence, the festival is meant to highlight artists performing, or interpreting, traditions that stretch back centuries. There’ll be Isokratisses, a Greek vocal ensemble, along with Ustad Saami, a Pakistani singer billed as “the last living khayál master” performing an ancient form of Islamic devotional music. Hidden Musics will also feature La Bruja de Texcoco, who blends jazz and traditional Mexican music.
Le Guess Who? focuses on artists that feel the urge to explore and expand the boundaries of certain genres. The festival features non-western sounds, jazz, folk, ambient, drone, avant-garde, modern composed, as well as contemporary pop and rock culture and many blended forms of these genres.
Previous curators at Le Guess Who? were Devendra Banhart, Shabaka Hutchings and Moor Mother (2018); Perfume Genius, James Holden, Grouper, Shabazz Palaces, Jerusalem In My Heart and Han Bennink (2017); Wilco, Savages, Julia Holter and Suuns (2016); Sunn O))) (2015); Swans’ Michael Gira (2014) and Ty Segall (2013).
Previous performers include Pharoah Sanders, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anoushka Shankar, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Neneh Cherry, Swamp Dogg, Sun Ra Arkestra, Dr. John, Annette Peacock, Selda Bağcan, Elza Soares, Devendra Banhart, The Breeders, Thurston Moore Group, Sun Kil Moon, Autechre, Kamasi Washington, Junun feat. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express, William Basinski, The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane performed by the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers, Magma, Keiji Haino, Patty Waters, Digable Planets and Pauline Oliveros.
Curated By Fatoumata Diawara:
Ahmed ag Kaedy
Fatoumata Diawara
Master Soumy
MO DJ
Roberto SOLO Fonseca
Films: Mali Blues & Yao
Curated by Iris van Herpen & Salvador Breed:
Amnesia Scanner (live)
Blazing Suns (live)
COUCOU CHLOE
Djrum (live)
Efterklang
FIS
Holly Herndon: PROTO
J-E-T-S (Jimmy Edgar x Machinedrum)
Klavikon
Lafawndah
Maarten Vos + Scenography By Nick Verstand
Murcof
Mykki Blanco
OSHUN
Expo: James Merry
Curated By Jenny Hval:
DNA? AND?
Felicia Atkinson
Haco
Jenny Hval’s The Practice Of Love
Lasse Marhaug
Lolina
Lone Taxidermist Presents BodyVice
Moon Relay
Oorutaichi
Richard Youngs
Sarah Davachi
Sofia Jernberg
Vilde Tuv
Vivian Wang
Zia Anger’s My First Film
Curated By Moon Duo:
Bbymutha
Bridget Hayden
Holly Herndon: PROTO
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids
Mary Lattimore
Michele Mercure
Moon Duo
Mueran Humanos
Nivhek
Prana Crafter
Sonic Boom
Sudan Archives
TENGGER
Träd, Gräs och Stenar (Träden)
Curated By Patrick Higgins:
AEAEA
Conrad Tao
Dossier X (Higgins/Mirabile/Schreiber)
Holly Herndon: PROTO
Leila Bordreuil
LEYA
Lightning Bolt
Mariel Roberts
Miranda Cuckson
Stine Janvin
Tyondai Braxton
Vicky Chow
Curated By The Bug:
Caspar Brötzmann Massaker
Drew McDowall + Florence To Present Time Machines A/V Live
Earth
Godflesh
Jah Shaka Sound System
JK Flesh B2B Goth-Trad
Kali Malone
Kevin Richard Martin & Hatis Noit
King Midas Sound
LOTTO
Mala
Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force
Rabih Beaini
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Slikback
The Bug feat. Flowdan & Manga Saint
Hilare
ZONAL feat. Moor Mother & Nazamba
General Lineup:
破地獄/Scattered Purgatory
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting
Paraiso U.F.O.
Acid Rooster
AEAEA
Aldous Harding
Ami Dang
Angel Bat Dawid & The Brothahood
Arp Frique Presents Improvised Suites For Analog Machines
Asha Puthli
Ayalew Mesfin & Debo Band
Bremer/McCoy
Casper Clausen
Cate Le Bon
Deerhoof & Tigue Play Friend Opportunity
Deerhunter
dj. flúgvel og geimskip
DJINN
Doug Hream Blunt
Dur-Dur Band
Ed Dowie
Eiko Ishibashi
Empath
Faten Kanaan
Föllakzoid
Girl Band
Grimm Grimm
Group Listening
Gruff Rhys
Grupo Pilon
HHY & The Macumbas
Italia 90
Joseph Shabason
Khana Bierbood
Lifafa
Los Siquicos Litoraleños
Love Supreme
Loving
Makaya McCraven
Mega Bog
Melissa Laveaux
Minyo Crusaders
Mythic Sunship
Negativland
Nosedrip
Not Waving + Dark Mark
Oiseaux-Tempête & Friends
Petbrick
Prison Religion
Quelle Chris
Sarah Louise
Shortparis
Stranded FM
The Raincoats
The Sweet Release of Death
Tropical Fuck Storm
Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima & Satsuki
Shibano
Vivien Goldman
Vladimir Ivkovic DJ
Xylouris White
Yves Jarvis
Hidden Musics Presents:
A Conversation With Ian Brennan
Christopher C. King
Isokratisses
La Bruja de Texcoco
Lakha Khan
Ustad Saami
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