Nyboma mwandindo

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More powerful than a line of snow done the hard way, faster than a bottle of Ballantyne’s Finest taken with a straw and stirred not shaken, more exhilarating than deep breathing on the summit of Mount Everest, more exciting than seeing Pamela Anderson in her underwear – supposing she was to wear any (and I have no idea which man looks exciting in his underwear) and a lot easier on the ears than a Bon Jovi concert. What the heck am I leading up to?

One of my favourite listening experiences over the past 10 years is Syran M’Benza’s 1990 album Symbiose. Just six tracks, all composed and arranged by Syran, who plays lead guitar on four of them. Here is one of the world’s finest guitarists at the peak of his form, enough unforgettable riffs to give the old master Keith Richard a dozen albums, and a roomful of Africa’s top musicians and singers playing so tightly it seems like a symphony orchestra. You’d suppose there would be a huge demand for this kind of virtuosity.

So I looked. Amazon, OOP except for one second hand copy, and no

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