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Exile

Geoffrey Oryema

Politics, particularly the politics of repression, are familiar as raw material for the singer-songwriter, but few have had the experiences that motivate Geoffrey Oryema.

At the age of 24, at the height of Idi Amin's power and following the death of his father, a prominent government minister, in a mysterious car accident, Oryema had to be smuggled across the border in the trunk of a car, thus beginning a life in exile. This exiled existence has been the theme of many of his songs.

Today, his songs keep alive the languages and folklore of his youth when he was surrounded by a close-knit family of singers, dancers and musicians. Geoffrey is accompanied by Peter Gabriel - a big fan - on backing vocals, Brian Eno on keyboards and vocals, Gabriel's guitarist David Rhodes, and David Bottrill on percussion.

Exile at realworldrecords.com