Geoffrey Oryema

Biography

16 April 1953, Soroti, Uganda. Born into a family of poets, storytellers and musicians. Oryema began to write songs at an early age, also mastering a variety of traditional instruments. However, he decided to pursue a career in the theatre and, after graduating from drama school, he set up his own theatre company, mixing traditional African and modern western theatrical styles. Following the assassination of his father (a local politician) during the period of political turmoil in Uganda in the late 70s, Oryema, fearing for his own life, escaped across the border to Kenya in the boot of a car. Subsequently moving to Paris, he turned to music. Singing, as well as playing guitar, thumb piano, flute and nanga (seven-string Ugandan harp), he performed at the WOMAD festival in 1989 and at the Nelson Mandela Birthday Celebration Concert at Wembley Stadium in England a year later. In the same year Real World Records released Exile, his debut album. Produced by Brian Eno ...

Read the Full Biography of Geoffrey Oryema