Founded in 2009, the Owiny Sigoma Band began during a cultural exchange project in Kenya entitled ‘The Art of Protest’. A group of london based musicians including Jesse Hackett, his brother Louis and school friend Tom Skinner were introduced to local musicians Joseph Nyamungu and Charles Owoko. Whilst both of them were singers, Nyamungu specialised in playing the Nyatiti, a stringed lute popular amongst the Luo people in western Kenya, whilst Owoko would play the Nyaduonge drum. 'The Lost Tapes' is split into two halves; the A-side having been recorded in Uganda, whilst the B-side was completed in Kenya. Although most of the project was recorded in 2019, this album is of a significant sentimental value since bandmember Charles Owoko very sadly passed away in 2015, shortly after they released their last record. The latter half of the project entails a number of recordings that Charles completed towards the end of his life – music that both Jesse and Louis Hackett describe as “stirring but special” - both a reminder and celebration of the pivotal role Owoko played in the band’s growth. As well as the cultural dichotomy, the intergenerational element has added to the uniqueness of the Owiny Sigoma Band’s sound. It is a timeless piece of music that accentuates the importance of different cultures collaborating with sincerity and quality; an apt illustration of how to push culture forward with conflicting yet curious attitudes.