With the pandemic making normal operations impossible, unique Dutch festival Le Guess Who? has put together one of the more interesting virtual alternatives. As mentioned, LGW ON happens this weekend (November 13-15) and features new original programming, video of past LGW performances, film screenings and other video content curated by past performers, new interviews and more. If you've attended LGW before, the familiar intimate curatorial spirit is felt, and for those that haven't been, it makes a good case for attending in the future. Oh, and: All LGW ON programming is free.
You can check out the LGW ON schedule for full details but here are some of the things we're looking forward to checking out.
Previous Le Guess Who? Full Sets
ON is showing previously unseen video recordings from throughout Le Guess Who?'s history, including a 2017 performance by Mary Margaret O'Hara (curated by Perfume Genius); the 2019 debut o of AEAEA (Nicolas Jaar & Patrick Higgins); Circuit des Yeux's 2018 performance with members of Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; Sons of Kemet's 2018 set where they performed as an 'XL' lineup featuring four drummers; and more.
In addition to the full sets, there are seven compilations of highlights featuring Neneh Cherry, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Juana Molina, Wilco, Swamp Dogg, Protomartyr, Lightning Bolt, Shabaka Hutchings, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Sudan Archives, Cass McCombs, Cate Le Bon and more.
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Two Vincent Moon film premieres
Filmmaker Vincent Moon, of La Blogotheque's "Take-Away" show video fame, will premiere two music documentaries, both about Southeast Asia: Hanoise, an examination of the vibrant, underground experimental music scene of Vietnam's capital; and Jakarta Jakarta!, a poetic look at the Indonesian hyper-city and its music, from ancient Buddhist and sufi rituals to traditional pop, rock, electronic and more.
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"Reports from Other Continents"
Made especially for LGW ON, correspondents from around the world offer profiles on arts, music, culture and the day-to-day life in their home countries. Learn how world events shaped the sound of Turkish music, from the first heart transplant to Muhammad Ali; discover Aleke music from Suriname; meet the people of The Congo's Sake Town who used traditional folk music to help recover from tragedy; a look at Mexico City's El Peñon de Los Baños which is the hub for the 'sonidero' movement; plus reports from Jakarta, Kenya, Colombia, Ghana, India, Nepal, and Russia.