Midori Takada, Pa Salieu, Lucida Chua & more announced for Le Guess Who?'s 2021 edition

Music

Utrecht-based festival Le Guess Who? has announced the second wave of their lineup for this year’s edition, taking place between 11-14 November.

As with every year, the festival has invited five guest curators to book their own programs of inspiring and like-minded artists, almost all of whom will also be performing at the festival — Midori Takada as part of her free jazz improvisational trio Ton-Klami; John Dwyer alongside OSEES as well as a live premiere of Bent Arcana; Lucrecia Dalt collaborates with Aaron Dilloway (Wolf Eyes); and Phil Elverum will be joined by guitarist Jay Blackinton to perform the Microphones in 2020 album.

Between them, the curators have invited artists from across the musical spectrum including German futuristic noise musician, curator, and radio host Felix Kubin, The Hague’s Ensemble Klang, Australian composer and multi-instrumentalist Oren Ambarchi, Nairobi underground metal duo Duma, folk and jazz cellist and former Nirvana collaborator Lori Goldston, and many many more.

The general line up has also announced more names. Among those revealed are Zanzibar’s Siti Muharam, the great-granddaughter of taarab music legend Siti Binti Saad; Gambian-British grime and hip-hop artist Pa Salieu; British cellist, vocalist and FKA Twigs collaborator Lucinda Chua; New York-based neo-soul sensation KeiyaA; and American ambient pioneer William Basinski.

Alongside the curated program and general line up, a label night will be hosted by Ugandan imprint Nyege Nyege Tapes and its own Hakuna Kulala club night, while Utrecht’s contemporary and innovative art and music platform Uncloud will host a program, and the city’s Mega Record & CD Fair, which stands as Europe’s largest, will take place on the same weekend.

Le Guess Who? is dedicated to sharing and exploring boundary-crossing music & culture from all over the world. Taking place at locations across the city of Utrecht, the festival showcases music, film, visual arts and more, in pop venues, theaters, churches, museums, warehouses and public squares.