Listen to songs produced by Oludele Olasiende

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Quick links to Song Information

1.Olaudah Equiano's Narrative   2.The Chase

3.I Stood on the River Jordan  

 4.Names of Slaves living in Liverpool in 1782 to 1804

5.No More Auction Block   6.Jubilee Song

7.Wayfaring Stranger   8.Take This Hammer

9.Am I not a Brother?Part1   10.Am I not a Brother?Part2

11.Essequibo River   12.Cotton Fields

13.Swing Low, Sweet Chariot   .14.All the Pretty Little Horses

 

 

 

Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative – Music composed by Sekou Susso

This is an excerpt from the book written by Equiano called ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African’. It was first published in 1789. Equiano was a slave born in Nigeria who became a free man and worked tirelessly for the Abolitionist movement.

 

Tayo Aluko – Baritone voice

Sekou Susso – Kora

Olu Olaseinde – Music Director, Guitar and Keyboards

 

The Chase – Music composed by River Niger Orchestra

"The Chase" is a narrative about a slave who escapes and is being hunted down by riders on horses, and blood hounds. "The Chase" is from The Anti-Slavery Harp; A collection of songs for anti-slavery meetings, compiled by William W. Brown, a fugitive slave (Boston : Bela Marsh, 1848). 

 

Yetunde Olaseinde         Vocals

Sekou Susso                   Kora (African Harp)

Pierre Balayongo             Balafon (African Xylophone)

Lekan Akigbe                  as the run-away Slave

Michael Adedeji             Bata Drum & Djembe

Felix Ngindu                   Gbedu Drum

Oludele Olaseinde          Musical Director, Guitar & Keyboards

 

I Stood on the River of Jordan - Trad arr. Tayo Aluko with Christine Horton

A Negro Spiritual song from the 19th Century

 

Tayo Aluko – Baritone voice

Christine Horton – Grand Piano

 

Names of Slaves living in Liverpool 1782-1804 - River Niger Orchestra

These names are from Liverpool Parish records of 1782-1804 discovered by Dr Ray Costello a local African Caribbean historian and Liverpudlian.

 

Yetunde Olaseinde          Vocals

Oluwaseun Olaseinde      Backing vocal

Michael Adedeji             Djembe Drum 

Felix Ngindu                  Gbedu Drum

Umaru Chaba                  Talking Drum

Oludele Olaseinde          Musical Director, Guitar & Keyboards

 

No more Auction Block – Trad arr. Hannah Peel and Ije Latham

No More Auction Block" is a narrative about not wanting to be sold or whip lashed any more. The origins of the song are prior to the American Civil  War (1861-1865) and in modern times it has been made popular by artistes including Odetta and Bob Dylan

 

Hannah Peel – Violin and music arrangement

Ije Latham - Vocal

Victoria Mutch - Cello

 

The Jubilee Song – Music composed by Olu Olaseinde

The Jubilee Song is a song that describes the suffering of enslavement and celebrates the journey to freedom. The Jubilee Song is from The Anti-Slavery Harp; A collection of songs for anti-slavery meetings, compiled by William W. Brown, a fugitive slave (Boston : Bela Marsh, 1848). 

 

Yetunde Olaseinde         Vocals

Sekou Susso                   Kora (African Harp)

Oludele Olaseinde          Musical Director & Guitar and Keyboards

 

Wayfaring Stranger Trad arr. Tayo Aluko and Christine Horton

This song is known as a White Spiritual song that comes from the period of Slavery and publicized in 1858 by Charles Tillman

 

Tayo Aluko – Baritone voice

Christine Horton – Grand Piano

 

Take this Hammer – Trad arr. Mojave Collective

This is a work song made popular by Leadbelly a famous African American folk singer who was born on a plantation in Louisiana in 1888

Mark Pountney – Acoustic Guitar

 

Am I not a Brother? Part 1 – Music composed by River Niger Orchestra

Am I not a Brother? Is a narrative that asks are we not brothers and equal . In the background you can hear the sound of the sea and creaking wood from the ship‘. ‘Am I not a Brother?’ is from The Anti-Slavery Harp; A collection of songs for anti-slavery meetings, compiled by William W. Brown, a fugitive slave (Boston : Bela Marsh, 1848). 

 

Yetunde Olaseinde         Vocals 

Pierre Balayongo             Balafon (African Xylophone)

Lekan Akigbe                 as the Slave

Michael Adedeji             Bata Drum & Djembe

Oludele Olaseinde          Musical Director & Guitar and Keyboards

 

Am I not a Brother? Part 2 - Music composed by River Niger Orchestra

William W. Brown, a fugitive slave (Boston : Bela Marsh, 1848). 

 

Yetunde Olaseinde     Vocals 

Pierre Balayongo        Balafon (African Xylophone)

Lekan Akigbe              as the Slave 

Michael Adedeji         Bata Drum & Djembe

Felix Ngindu              Gbedu Drum

Oludele Olaseinde      Musical Director & Guitar and Keyboards

 

Essequibo River – Trad arr. Mark Jones 

This a sea shanty song that British sailors learnt from the local African Caribbean population in Guyana

Mark Jones – Acoustic Guitar

 

Cotton Fields – Trad arr. Craig Gamble

Cotton Fields was written by Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Bellya famous African American folk singer who was born on a plantation in Louisiana in 1888.

Craig Gamble – Electric Guitar

 

Swing Low Sweet Chariot Trad arr. Tayo Aluko and River Niger Orchestra 

This song is a Negro spiritual song from the 19th Century first recorded by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1909. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored the song as one of 50 recordings chosen that year to be added to the National Recording Registry. It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. (Wikipedia)

 

Tayo Aluko with the Sounds of Slavery Ensemble and River Niger Orchestra

Felix Ngindu - Gbedu Drums

 

All the Pretty Little Horses – Trad arr. Music composed by Caitlin Grey and Nick Harvey

"All the Pretty Little Horses"(also known as "Hush-a-bye") is a traditional lullaby from the southern United States. Current theory is that the lullaby was sung by black slaves to their white charges during the pre-Civil War period. This theory is backed by the reference to "wee little lamby...cried for her mammy" as slaves were often forcibly separated from their own families in order to serve their owners.

 

Caitlin Grey - Vocal

Neil Harvey – All instruments