Uyai

Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk, disco, modern post-punk, and electro. They have forged a reputation as a high-energy live act appearing on stages such as Later with Jools Holland, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and the BBC 6 Music Festival, as well as at iconic venues such as Shakespeares Globe Theatre in London as part of Lauren Lavernes Wonder Women series. The album title Uyai means beauty in Ibibio language and refers to the strength and free spirit of women in general and, in particular, the courage of the women in Enos family, to whom she often refers in her writing. The songs are based more around themes of empowerment, freedom, and the liberation of dance for women, and people in general. Weird and wonderful folk stories, recounted to Eno by her family as a child in her mothers Ibibio tongue, form the creative fabric from which the bands unique musical tapestry is woven. Evocative poetic imagery and empowering messages set against an edgy, Afro-Electro soundscape give the band a unique space within the current wave of modern Afrocentric sounds sweeping across the globe.