[peel] Zimbabwean Jit guitar

[stuff1424@...]

I've been wondering if anyone knows of any so-called 'indie' bands, 
particular British groups from the past that were guitar-led and strongly influenced by 
African guitar styles, particularly Zimbabwean Jit, or maybe just had a 
passing resemblance to it. For ages I only owned the classic Juju Music by King 
Sunny Ade but recently bought a copy of The Four Brothers 'Makorokoto', a Peel 
favourite, I think. The vocals don't do much for me but the guitars are simply 
wonderful. It's such a brilliant style but Johnny Marr is the only one I can 
think of in British 'indie' music that got close to the technique 
(finger-picked? plectrum-fingers?). For instance, the opening of 'This Charming Man' sounds 
like any of the intro's to a Four Brothers song- what I love most about this 
guitar style is that it can be put to ironic use the way the backing for 
'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' sounds so heavenly whilst the vocals sound so 
miserable. So if anyone has any secret knowledge of underground ‘indie’ bands or 
particular songs Peel has played over the years where the guitars are so 
‘jangly’ they’re verging on the Zimbabwean Jit style, let me know. It's something 
that lends itself hilariously well to British miserablism.



Rich.