Beat the Border is the result of some significant collaborations. The first is with Jean-Pierre Alarcen, a brilliant guitarist and composer/arranger who is featured throughout the album. Jean-Pierre brings the electric soul to this cultural collaboration of western pop/rock and African traditional melodies. The second was with producer Bob Ezrin who has worked with, among others, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, and Paul Simon. Ezrin produced the original demos for the album as well as the powerful single The River with Brian Eno, and two other tracks, ‘Kel Kweyo’ and ‘Gang Deyo’. The balance of the album was produced by David Bottrill, who has worked extensively with Peter Gabriel and came to this album fresh from co-producing the Robert Fripp/David Sylvian album The First Day.
Geoffrey Oryema’s music has developed and matured and with Beat The Border the powerful root of his African heritage has come to influence his music in more subtle ways. His songs have become more universal and although their expression is still to be found in the Swahili and Acholi of his native Uganda, he increasingly writes in English as well. He uses his memories of Africa as well as his theatrical training to realise the images and situations he wishes to impart. What is real comes from within— and Geoffrey Oryema’s music will continue to merge the language, culture and sounds of his childhood homeland with his European home of exile.
Contact sheets from the Beat The Border shoot by Stephen Lovell-DavisOpen full screen image
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Reviews
Moves between rural Africa, with its fleeting rhythms and thumb pianos, and an accessible international style, all neat harmonies and acoustic guitars, that gives rein to his love of medium tempos and sooting melodies.
Top 50 albums of 1993, ★★★★ Q Magazine (UK)
An album for all those interested in mellow, mature rock with a twist.
Vox (UK)
Contemplative arrangements and soothing melodies that saunter around a winning-formula
Folk Roots (UK)
A harmonious marriage between traditional and Western influences.
Billboard (USA)
Produced by Brian Eno, this album introduced the world to the struggles of singer-songwriter Geoffrey Oryema, who fled Uganda at a young age following the secret assassination of his father, a government minister. A wistful reflection on the Uganda of Oryema’s youth and the sadness of his exile.
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.
