Album of the week : Belle Epoque - Vol 2: Mansa from the Rail Band on the Sterns label.

Last week my first three tracks were inspired by a T-Shirt, this week my inspiration came from Tiken Jah Fakoly who rceived an award from Freemuse, the only international organisation campaigning for freedom of speech and against censorship of artists and musicians rights.

We start the broadcast with three outspoken artists.

Our album of the week comes from the Sterns label,Rail Band 2 - Mansa, the second on a trilogy of double cd releases documenting "The Belle Epoque", that beautiful era when passengers of Bamako's railway station were entertained by the truly creative Rail Band.......how anyone caught their train is a mystery after listening to the music I would be either dancing or sitting back with a cold beer saying manyana manyana. Compiled by Ibrahim Syllar of Syllart productions, who went on to produce Salif Keita's international hit Soro. With fascinating and comprehensive sleeve notes by H.Lee in the form of a 20 page booklet detailing changes in personel, offering historical notes and images of original sleeve art, it would be rudeness of the highest account to overlook this album.

We pick up the theme of house bands as we revisit our album of the week last week and speak to the compiler DJ Umb live over the phone.

We also pick up the train theme later in the broadcast with an extract from the Ballad of John Axon which ties in with the fact that it was Bank Holiday here in England.