Kenyan Songs And Strings : 1950 & 1952 (2006)

"This wonderful collection of Kenyan recordings from the early 1950s is worth it for the opening track alone, a folk chant about American country singer Jimmie Rodgers who is depicted as a sort of mythical half-man, half-antelope by the Kipsigi children in the village of Kapkatet. Apparently, at some point the villagers had been introduced to Rodgers' music and were so captivated by his vocal prowess that he became the subject of legends and was referred to as "Chemirocha." This is the truth according to esteemed British ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey, from whose vast collection of African field recordings these songs are culled. The rest of the 26 pieces here are a mix of enchanting a cappella choirs and songs accompanied by strange buzzing lyres, guitars, ouds, and rustic percussion. The recordings Tracey made throughout the continent during the middle of the last century are a treasure trove of deep African culture, and this Kenyan-focused compilation is as good as anything in his vast library."(Allmusic).