by Gavin Chait
‘Talibe’, The Balladeer – Ismaël Lô [Song for the Fallen]
‘Mabemba’, Rising Tide – Mokoomba [The Balladeer’s song of thanks in the market]
‘No Ballads Ballad’, Spirit – Geoffrey Oryema [Samara and Joshua talk along the river]
‘Dionysus’, Untold Things – Jocelyn Pook [Mama’s tale]
‘Makambo’, Exile – Geoffrey Oryema [Setting out on the river to Calabar]
‘The Wife of Usher’s Well’, Broadside – Bellowhead [Samara in the bar in Anacostia]
‘Njoka’, Rising Tide – Mokoomba [The Song of the City in Calabar]
‘Ndayaan’, Ndayaan – Omar Pene [Man singing in the road on the tour of Calabar]
‘Dem Bobo’, Africa For Africa – Femi Kuti [Farinata Uberti’s party]
‘Rero’, The Balladeer – Ismaël Lô [After the massacre]
‘Happiness Is’, Coming Home – Yungchen Lhamo [Song for the Leaving medley]
‘Lubara Wanwa’, Laru Beya – Aurelio [Song for the Leaving medley]
‘Hard Times’, Stone Cold Ohio – Little Axe [Song for the Leaving medley]
‘The Rhythm of the Heat’, Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel [Song for the Leaving medley]
‘Dragonfly’, Music Food and Love – Guo Yue [Song for the Leaving medley]
‘Nabou’, The Balladeer – Ismaël Lô [Song for the Return]
There was no ‘her’ when I began this tale, but she was always there and she always knew. I am grateful.
@GavinChait
started 1986 in South Africa, completed, by way of Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines, 2015 in England.