Bulayo

Description

Masterpieces of African acoustic guitar, in the tradition of the famous African Guitar Box from Mississippi. Between 1979 and 1980, a young British-Kenyan musician named John Low hit the road to learn fingerstyle from his idols. He traveled through Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, and Zambia, visiting stars like Jean-Bosco Mwenda, Losta Abelo, and Emmanuel Mulemena, sometimes staying at their homes. He also documented brilliant but previously little-known artists, such as Tanzanian Francis Kitime and Kenyan Mtonga Wanganangu. Regardless of their fame, John approached each artist with humility, like a student. He recorded in homes, in village squares, and in cafes. The sessions are intimate and relaxed, with the artists at ease. John's tape recorder captured the voices of some of the continent's greatest artists, as well as laughter, children's giggles, and the clinking of glasses. Fifty years later, these recordings provide a rare glimpse into how fingerstyle was truly listened to, far from the tense setting of professional recording studios. Some of these songs have appeared in John Storm Roberts' out-of-print compilations (which greatly inspired Mississippi). Others are previously unreleased. All have been carefully restored and remastered from the original tapes by Andrew Walter (Honest Jon's, Abbey Road). John Low wrote the notes and lyrics, and Tanzanian musicologist John Kitime provided the musicians' perspective. Licensed from John Low and the artists, pressed on high-quality vinyl at Smashed Plastic in Chicago.