This is our second African gem this week, following the marvelously brutal release by Kenya’s Duma. This release by the late S.E. Rogie is a more relaxed, bluesy highlife affair from Sierra Leone. According to the Mississippi Records Bandcamp website, Rogie, “…went from running a tailor shop in Sierra Leone to being one of West Africa’s most popular artists. He toured around the country, singing his palm wine music in multiple local languages, created his own record label, and was known as the most handsome man in Sierra Leone. He formed the highlife band The Morningstars in 1965. In 1973, he came to the Bay Area to live and expand his base, performing everywhere from local high schools and convalescent homes to festivals and large stages. In his later life he hit the road again and toured the world, eventually passing away while on stage in Russia in 1994.”
S.E. Rogie – Further Sounds of S.E. Rogie
