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S.E. Rogie: Palm Wine Poet of the Good Life
If I had to describe S.E. Rogie with a simple, pithy phrase I’d call him the "good time palm wine poet" (more on palm wine music here). His music contains all the languor, gentleness and bonhommie of an afternoon spent drinking with friends and lovers at a local palm wine bar in his native Sierra Leone. His guitar playing is simple, unadorned and yet deeply tuneful. His voice is a warm, deep baritone that can creep into a tenor register. The songs have a rollicking rhythm that carries the listener along like a gentle cresting wave. His music is full of love and gracious living. Just the kind of fellow you’d like to spend a long lazy Sunday afternoon with spinning tunes, telling stories and enjoying what life has to offer.
One of my great regrets in life is that I first discovered Rogie just before his death. He had already completed a U.S. tour which was, alas, his last one. But I did have an aural legacy that he left behind in the form of his last recording, the hilariously titled, Dead Men Don’t Smoke Marijuana. It is a totally lovely, captivating record which provides a terrific introduction to his music. Listen here to African Gospel
WARNING: This mp3 blog exists to spread the wonder and genius that is traditional music. It does NOT exist to enhance your private mp3 collection. So by all means come, listen, enjoy, then follow the links to buy the music. If you come, listen, download, then leave—you’re violating the spirit behind this blog and doing nothing to support the artists featured here. And if you link to my mp3 file at your own site, then you’re stealing my bandwidth and being pretty uncool. So please don’t do it.
