Extra Golden was formed on a whim in 2004, as friends Ian Eagleson, Alex Minoff, Onyango Wuod Omari and Otieno Jagwasi began collaborating with one another. Eagleson had come to Kenya to write a doctoral thesis on benga, the popular Kenyan guitar-rich dance music. There he met Jagwasi, who assisted Eagleson with his thesis.
Extra Golden survived the death of Jagwasi from liver failure in 2005, and has since released three albums, the latest being Thank You Very Quickly. The group has received praise for their successful blending of seemingly dissimilar styles. In this World Cafe session, Eagleson discusses how he stumbled upon his musical career, as well as the logic behind the band's fusion of rock and benga.
Copyright 2009 XPN