Safari Boots by Safari Boots

From England to the USA by way of Africa, Safari Boots play a unique form of world music. Blending world beats into their original tunes, they create a joyous Afro-Euro fusion: Congolese soukous and rumba, Zimbabwean jit, along with a touch of reggae and a hint of Latin.

John Howarth (vocals, guitar and songwriter) has travelled to some of the most obscure corners of the globe, and found musical inspiration on the way. First encountering African music through the blown-out sound system of a bus in Freetown, Sierra Leone, long before the arrival of Paul Simon’s Graceland, he started to explore the unfamiliar sounds of that continent. This led to investigating music from other parts of the world, and eventually, some time later, to the formation of Safari Boots. The band originated in the UK, and now has a parallel existence in the USA.

A couple of songs on this debut album, ‘Fine Life’ and ‘Merchant Bankers’, were inspired by the financial situation we all find ourselves in, and are set to Southern African rhythms. ‘Freetown Bus’ tells the story of encountering African music for the first time and uses a soukous rhythm. There are a couple of reggae tunes, and a Latin-ish song about the perils of falling in love with someone you can’t afford. ‘People’ is a plea to understand and tolerate each other, and not build walls to divide ourselves.

Safari Boots play a unique form of world music, blending their original tunes with global beats to create a joyous Afro-Euro fusion where you’ll find influences from Congolese soukous and rumba, Zimbabwean jit, a touch of reggae, and a hint of Latin. Just try to keep your feet still.

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