The group’s first album, Ok Oyot System (2006), drew on both styles in quirky and elegant ways, varying tempos and themes beyond the basic benga palette and mixing Luo and English lyrics, all while maintaining the core propulsion and melodicism of African dance music.
But Jagwasi was ill from HIV-related disease, and after his death, it seemed unlikely the group could carry on. That it’s done so testifies to the underlying strength of the concept as well as to the efforts of a far-ranging coterie of supporters, from Chicago label Thrill Jockey to U.S. Senator Barack Obama, who shares ethnic origins with the Kenyan players and whose office helped secure the visas that allowed them into the U.S. to tour and record.
Hera Ma Nono stems from those sessions. Although Jagwasi’s brother Onyango appears on the first track, “Jakolando,” to eulogize the fallen leader, the most influential addition is benga star Opiyo Bilongo, whose guitar and especially sweet vocals make this, if anything, a more deeply African album than its predecessor.
Once again, Extra Golden pulls off its fusion experiments with panache; “I Miss You” aches with honky-tonk melancholy, and “Street Parade,” an homage to the resilience of New Orleans, offers a righteous slop of styles in keeping with the free-wheeling musical spirit of that city.
But the most thrilling item is “Obama,” a traditional praise song to the senator and his family, especially when it shifts up tempo and the sweet harmonies yield to jangly guitars and raucous invocations.
– Siddhartha Mitter
Extra Golden: www.extragolden.com
Thrill Jockey: www.thrilljockey.com