Pompey Ran Away

A missing link between African music and African-American music. This is a song played by a slave in colonial America in 1780. It was written down by a visiting Scot and published back home. What's incredible about this is the combined flavors of west African music and Celtic fiddle tunes.

I learned it from the sheet music. I play it as a cross between country and afro-beat. That's a 1965 SG played through a 12 watt 1940s National-Dobro amp. The noise over the top comes from the amp -- nothing I can do about. That amp's tone is so great that I'm actually ok with the noise.

I was trying to draw out the west African bits without losing the Celtic influence. There's a purely Mali-flavored version at http://www.rhapsody.com/cheick-hamala-diabate/from-mali-to-america .

MP3 and lots more comments on my blog at
http://soupgreens.com/2009/03/20/pompey-ran-away/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• LucasGonze
• PompeyRanAway

[lcsgze]

I might have gotten the name wrong. What I wanted to bring out was somethign like those knotty kalimba cross rhythms.

This is a fun song to play. It's like a tongue twister.

[daddystovepipe]

You cayght the African spirit well, very nice one!

[gurdonark]

Although the regions are different, I keep thinking of this one in highlife terms. Great find! Soup-worthy.