Something Is Wrong: Songs From East Africa, 1952-57 2LP

The second volume of East African music culled from the 78 archives of EMI and released on HMV. These first met the public ear in the 1950s but have long been buried in the vaults. Along with minstrelsy, Arab influenced party tunes, Congolese guitar rips, and the East African version of country blues, there's a bunch of music by Ugandan big band ensembles, pretty much party music advocating drinking and whoring. Missionary Robert Ashe described these sounds thus: "Our ears were deafened with the din which a motley band of musicians were making. Kettledrums and hand drums were rolling, horns braying, flutes screaming ... while blind musicians twanged away on their banjos, the whole making a most discordant harmony." In other words: Recommended. (Honest Jon's)

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