Sooliman Rogie, or S.E. Rogie was one of the best known "palm wine" guitarists, a genre that belonged to the West African coast and dated back to when Portuguese sailors brought guitars to the region through trade. It's a blend of traditional African rhythm and melody with a calypso feel, and it's every bit as intoxicating as the beverage that inspired the name. Some of you may have had the good fortune to hear Rogie's track on the outstanding "Lipa Kodi Ya City Council" lp but I had no idea he was somewhat of a national hero in Sierra Leone, the country of his birth. This is a later clip of Rogie, who put out a record not long before his death entitled "Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana". As Venom would say, "Indeed...Indeed."
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