En Mana Kuoyo

Since its initial release in 1993, En Mana Kuoyo has become the stuff of world music legend. The album’s ten songs present a spacious, acoustic side of African music, one subtly imbued with modern sensibility. The production was ahead of its time in its simplicity, and it made a sharp contrast with the ever more elaborate, technically complex African music productions of its era.

Kenyan singer-songwriter Ayub Ogada was a busker on London’s Northern Line when he came to Real World’s attention in the late 80s. And this 1993 set —his only record for the label— proved that it was a meeting of minds, with his disarmingly simple arrangements allowed to hang there unadorned, making a lasting impression. Simply backing himself (albeit with virtuosic ease) on an East African lyre called a nyatiti, this record introduced Ayub as a performer of great charm, his warm vocals never leaving centre stage.