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Creepy John, Duncan & Brady etc. again, but
the interesting thing about these recordings
– many of which he’s done studio versions of
down the years – is how he’s slipping back
towards his very early character and syncopa-
tions again, a very welcome thing to hear.
Maybe it’s Glover’s telepathic harmonica
darting in and out that’s helping pull it subtly
in that direction, or maybe he’s finally getting
a perspective on his own worth. Whatever,
it’s a great listen. It’s thrilling to hear my first
personal performing hero still on such good
“I doubt if the huge audience that now exists for world and
form. He’s around 70 now, and a true Ameri-
can national treasure: it’s long past time that
roots music would be there if it weren’t for fRoots.” Joe Boyd
he got more recognised as such.
“The people of fRoots care a lot about the diverse musical
Rumour, as we go to press, says he might
expression coming from Africa and they write about it with
be heading across the Atlantic in late Septem-
ber, for the first time since the 1980s. Joy!
objectivity and with joy.” Youssou N’Dour
Distribution seems to be an evolving
“fRoots proves that Englishness and multi-culturalism do go
feast: label website www.copycatsent.com
together.” Billy Bragg
was still under construction at press date.
Amazon have it at a price, and it’s available
“fRoots provides a focal point for a scene so diverse it would
from iTunes. Google for updates, at a guess.
seem impossible to represent, but they manage it with taste, Ian Anderson
objectivity, humour and intelligence.” Eliza Carthy
“Probably the most independent magazine dealing with world
music: a rare and vital quality to be supported.” Rokia Traore
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Marvellous Boy – Calypso From West
“I read fRoots to keep up with who’s making the best music
Africa Honest Jon’s HJRCD38
in the world these days, but also for enjoyment! The sheer
volume of information is awesome.” Charlie Gillett
The World Is Shaking – Cubanismo From
The Congo Honest Jon’s HJRCD40
“fRoots has not only been a pioneer in promoting ‘world
Bedecked with retro
music’ but has most often been the first magazine to carry
black and white
the big story about the best new talent.” Orchestra Baobab
photography so
redolent of the era
“fRoots is a definitive part of the UK music scene – the only
covered, garnished
published port of call to embrace such an eclectic range of with first class informative sleeve notes
music.” Thomas Brooman MBE
contained in tactile gatefold cardboard
sleeves, Honest Jon’s albums – culled from
“Incredibly stimulating.” Robert Plant EMI’s extensive Hayes archive of worldwide
78s – are enough to bring out the gotta-
“No effRoots, no effing comment!” Ian Telfer, Oysterband
collect-’em-all inner anorak in the best of
us, especially when the music therein is as
To get your regular supply of fRoots you can place an
excellent as that on the London Is The Place
order at your newsagent (tell them that we’re distributed
For Me series of calypso music that has
by Seymour). But better still, relax and have fRoots
achieved such acclaim.
appear through your letterbox early each month. UK
Marvellous Boy – Calypso From West
Africa is a more than worthwhile companion
postage is included free of charge and fRoots is posted
to those albums, covering recordings from
to you a week before street date. (roughly) the early ‘40s to mid ‘50s when
Caribbean influences spread from the Creole
1 year is ten issues including the festival special and
(or Krio) artists of Freetown in Sierra Leone to
double issues with exclusive full-length CDs.
the highlife sound of the other English-speak-
ing West African countries, Ghana and Nige-
U.K: 1 year 46.00 (2 years £92.00)
ria. Many of the songs here are consequently
Airmail Europe, Scandinavia, Ireland or Surface Mail
English-language, and bear the Calypsonian
trait of humorous tales (or serious tales told
elsewhere: 1 year £63.00, 2 years £126.00
with wit) told over a loose, playful backing.
Airmail rest of world: 1 year £80.00, 2 years £160.00
Bobby Benson And His Combo utilise their
ballroom-band past on a playful cover of the
Digital (online or download, no CDs): 1 year £36.00, Calypsonian classic Taxi Driver (I Don’t Care),
2 years £68.00
all punchy sax, yelping trumpet and don’t-
care-what-she-does attitude. Horn sections
Lifetime! See column opposite.
were crucial to the distinctive highlife-isation
of this music, Ghana’s E T Mensah leading the
We have secure online ordering for new, gift, renewal
way across the region, and represented here
and lifetime supporter subscriptions on our web site at with the languorous and ever so slightly dis-
www.frootsmag.com Or you can pay in £ Sterling
turbing The Tree And The Monkey. Another
cheques/ postal orders/ IMOs, payable to ‘Southern Rag
big influence was Freetown’s Ebenezer Calen-
der, who brings his half-Barbadian roots to
Ltd’ and drawn on a UK bank. Post to fRoots, PO Box 337,
three tracks lightened by banjo-player
London N4 1TW. See opposite for FREE! offers!
Famous Scrubbs, excellent in his own right on
Scrubbs Na Marvellous Boy, the S E Rogie-a-
like Krio song that lends itself to the title of
Digital Edition Now Launched!
this consistently engaging collection, as calyp-
so stepped into – and finally, permanently, out
of – highlife and other local guitar styles.
A full digital edition of fRoots has now been launched, available on secure
The World Is Shaking – Cubanismo From
subscription, providing an economic alternative to readers who find overseas
The Congo takes us back to the seminal years
postage rates prohibitive. See a full sample at www.frootsmag.com
when Congolese musicians took the jazz and
Latin-influenced music of their predecessors,
mixed it with a picked – mostly dual, acoustic
– guitar that imitated the Cuban son montuno
www.frootsmag.com or tel (+44) (0)20 8340 9651
piano style, and dropped likembe thumb
piano into the mix plus occasional kazoo and
fiddle to produce a dance music with a strong
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