British-born singer Eno Williams grew up in Nigeria, where her family passed on storytelling traditions in the Ibibio language. Eno’s grandmother used to tease her, saying, “You always sing in English, when are you going to sing in Ibibio?” When Eno eventually came around to the idea, she noticed that the rhythms and melodies inherent in the language made it a perfect fit for songwriting. Now, in Ibibio Sound Machine, Eno fuses the language of her roots with the musical roots of her bandmates, who hail from Ghana, Trinidad, Australia and Brazil.

Ibibio Sound Machine’s music — and its very existence — is a unique testament to the global city where the members came together; London. We meet the band at the Pool Recording Studio in London to hear live performances of songs from its latest album, Doko Mien.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Source:: https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2019/08/28/755028559/ibibio-sound-machine-takes-us-around-the-world-without-leaving-london?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=world