CONTINENTAL SOUNDS
US country music strikes a chord in Africa
Music transcends race, nationality and creed. Even country and western music, with its image of being the genre of choice for predominantly white, redneck fans in the US, has transcended national and continental barriers. This was illustrated by country and western star Don Williams, who died in September. He played a style of "plain-spoken", traditional country that epitomised the image of the genre’s hardcore white US fans. Yet Williams had a serious following in Africa. He was one of a few international country stars to tour the continent. In 1997, he released a DVD, Into Africa, which was recorded live in Zimbabwe. A quote from Kenyan satirist and journalist Ted Malanda, in an affectionate obituary in The Standard, illustrates his influence on Kenyans from different backgrounds: "A moment of silence for the thousands of Kenyan kids who were conceived with Williams crooning in the background." However, despite its popularity, the genre continues to be dominated by white musicians...
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