83. African Head Charge

Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah is the percussionist and vocalist behind African Head Charge, the experimental dub project he co-founded with legendary studio wizard Adrian Sherwood in the late 1970s. With dozens of albums to his credit, he’s been established as an influential and singular performer with a sound all his own. Today I’m speaking with Bonjo about how he found his musical and spiritual calling in the Poco churches of Jamaica in his youth, how an encounter with Fela Kuti changed the course of his life, his collaborations with classic reggae and soul artists like Desmond Dekker, Prince Far I, Creation Rebel and the Foundations, how he turned an experimental studio project into a large live ensemble, and insights into African Head Charge’s latest album, A Trip To Bolgatonga on Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label. Scherler Sundays is returning to downtown Olympia for summer 2024!! That means ten weeks in a row of free outdoor concerts and live interview tapings for future broadcast.  Come see your next favorite artist and get to know them in one fell swoop, week after week! This year’s lineup includes Little Wings, Mirah, Tender Forever, Lois, Damien Jurado, Michael Hurley, Chris Cohen, Oh Rose, Jonny Kosmo and more than 20 others, all curated and hosted by yours truly.  It’s happening every sunday at 3pm from July 21st through September 22nd. Find more info at ScherlerBeer.com If you’re a fan of this show, please consider taking a moment to support this show by committing to a flexible monthly donation at patreon.com/lowprofile. It would mean the world to me if I could set aside a proper work week at a living wage every month, and I believe with enough of the regular listeners chipping in 5 bucks, it could happen.  So thanks a lot to those of you who have continued to support me on Patreon, and if you haven’t yet, give it a try! It will be great for your karma, I bet! You can find links to more of their work on this episode’s website at lowprofilepodcast.com, where you’ll also find a treasure trove of oral history from exceptional musicians of all stripes. Low Profile is a part of the Ruinous Media podcast network, and this episode’s artwork was drawn by Jack Habegger.  Thanks to Howard Wuelfing at Howlin’ Wuelf Media for facilitating today’s interview.