ATOMIC BOMB! The Music of William Onyeabor at Peter Jay Sharp Building

A diverse lineup of tremendously talented musicians celebrate the music of the elusive Nigerian synth-funk pioneer William Onyeabor. Under the musical direction of Ahmed Gallab (Sinkane) and Money Mark (Beastie Boys), ATOMIC BOMB! The Music of William Onyeabor features performances by David Byrne, Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem), Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip), Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Luke Jenner (the Rapture), the Lijadu Sisters, and Joshua Redman. This engagement is one of the first in a month-long citywide music festival from Red Bull Music Academy.

William Onyeabor self-released eight albums in southeastern Nigeria between 1978 and 1985, all of them now nearly impossible to find. He soon after disappeared from the music scene. After a five-year odyssey to track down Onyeabor, the Luaka Bop label released Who is William Onyeabor? in 2013. The album introduced Onyeabor’s infectious music to a wider audience and was included on Time magazine’s Top 10 Albums of the year and named a Best New Reissue by Pitchfork.