Son of Adungu

Son of Adungu is quite unlike any other albums by Otim Alpha and Leo Palayeng’s other records. The originators of the breakneck Electro Acholi style ditch the Fruity Loops programming in favor of a much mellower acoustic sound that is reminiscent of Luo musician Ayub Ogada or Zimbabwean artist Oliver Mtukudzi. The songs are delicate and melodic, and show Alpha’s mastery of the Adungu, an arched harp from northern Uganda — quite different from his usually frantic performances. James Ocen, another member of the Nyege Nyege label, plays the rigi rigi, a single string violin, on several tracks, offering intense, melodic counterpoints to Palayeng and Alpha’s vocals and hypnotic rhythms. At some points, like on the languorous “Bong Cwinya,” you can even hear a bit of a Latin influence. A transportive, masterfully assembled record.