Safari Boots

Safari Boots are a simple trio of guitar, bass and drums performing African guitar music with influences of predominantly Congolese rumba and soukous, Zimbabwean jit, and a little reggae, Latin and blues. English-born bandleader, singer-songwriter and guitarist John Howarth has spent plenty of time in Africa where he has picked up his musical influences and inspiration. He operates his group with two line-ups: one in the UK and one in the US. He is a fine guitarist and his American backing musicians are solid on this lively and accomplished recording. Refreshingly he makes absolutely no vocal pretence of being ‘African’ and his singing is very English and straightforward. The end result is a bit like ‘Roy Harper does soukous.’

The songs are a mixture of sensitive relationship tales and social commentary, plus a couple of novelties. ‘Merchant Bankers’ plays on the Cockney rhyming slang phrase while lamenting the financial crisis. ‘Freetown Bus’ relates his discovery of Prince Nico's ‘Sweet Mother’ while in Sierra Leone, and the song ‘People’ is a slinky gem with a great hook that sticks in the mind. Deftly performed, unpretentious and highly enjoyable.