Music of Africa's Guitar Week #3 - Omutibo From Rural Kenya
Our third post in a week that explores acoustic guitar music from various points in Africa.
Our first two Guitar Week posts each looked at one song each by artists from Botswana and Kenya. Today, we're back at Kenya and we're featuring an album of omutibo music, also from Kenya.
It's called Usiende Ukalale: Omutibo From Rural Kenya. Mississippi Records co-released it with Raw Music International. Here's what they had to say about it:
"Omutibo", a uniquely Kenyan style of acoustic guitar music, was invented by George Mukabi in the late 1950s, and quickly adapted by his neighbors in a region that proved truly fertile for guitarists. In 2016, Cyrus Moussavi (Raw Music International) set out along the banks of the River Yala to document the songs of the old days. Recorded on location in homes and yards, these are the songs and stories of a golden era Kenya on the brink of Independence, beautifully resurrected by the songwriters themselves, over 50 years later. Featuring performances by, and interviews of: Johnstone Ouko Mukabi, Shem Tupe, Fanuel Amimo, Jimmy Bongo, Sukuma Bin Ongaro, Peter Akwabi, Zachariah Omufumbwa, Omari Machio, and Johanias Kiunya.