''Exile'' is the debut album by the Ugandan musician Geoffrey Oryema. It was released in 1990. The album has sold more than 50,000 copies. Oryema escaped his country after his father was assassinated during the rule of

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

, as chronicled in "Solitude". Many of the songs contain nostalgia about the land and the people Oryema had to leave.

Production

The album was produced by

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

, with Eno and

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

providing backing vocals on some songs. It was engineered by David Bottrill. Oryema played the lukeme, among other instruments. He sang in Acoli and Swahili. The title track calls for an end to tribal fighting in Africa.

Critical reception

The ''

Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''Dai ...

'' stated that "Oryema is a folk artist who sings in a syncopated style to the minimal backing of percussion, acoustic guitars and a seven-string harp called a nanga." The ''

Syracuse Herald-Journal The ''Syracuse Herald-Journal'' (1925–2001) was an evening newspaper in Syracuse, New York, United States, with roots going back to 1839 when it was named the ''Western State Journal''. The final issue — volume 124, number 37,500 — was publi ...

'' wrote that "the music is lively, the vocals intense."

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Geoffrey Oryema, unless noted. #"Piny Runa Woko" #"Land of Anaka" (Geoffrey Oryema and Brian Eno) #"Piri Wango Iya" #"Ye Ye Ye" #"Lacan Woto Kumu" #"Makambo" (music from "Likambo Ya Ngana" by

Franco Luambo François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi (6 July 1938 – 12 October 1989) was a Congolese musician. He was a major figure in 20th-century Congolese music, and African music in general, principally as the leader for over 30 years of TPOK Jazz, the most po ...

, uncredited) #"Jok Omako Nyako" #"Solitude" #"Lubanga" #"Exile"

References

{{Authority control Geoffrey Oryema albums 1990 albums Real World Records albums Albums produced by Brian Eno