Sweet as broken dates : lost Somali tapes from the horn of Africa

"This extraordinary set, compiled largely from cassettes that had been hidden away for decades, is a reminder of "swinging Somalia" in the 1970s and 80s, before the country was torn apart by civil war ... Local bands developed a unique style that mixed Arabic and Indian influences with funk and soul, along with the reggae-like dhaanto. Organ and synths dominate ...".

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"An interview in the detailed liner notes with Iftiin Band and Sharero Band synth player Mahmud "Jerry" Abdallah Hussen sheds more light on the many influences that come together in Somali pop music. He cites Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango as some of his personal influences, and notes that Somali music, like Indian music, tends to use pentatonic scales, and that the hint of reggae present in songs like Aamina Camaari's "Rag waa Nacab iyo Nasteexo" comes from the off-beat reggae shares with Dhaanto rhythm from Ethiopia's Somali-speaking Ogaden region. It's a fascinating read, interviews giving incredible insight into the time and place of these recordings that could so easily have been lost to combat, and Ostinato sets a good example by letting the artists speak for themselves".

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