Pitchfork

When half-Kenyan U.S. Senator Barack Obama traveled to Kenya a couple years ago, he was greeted by swarming crowds everywhere he went-- people from developing countries hear a lot of promises from old white guys that never pan out, but here was a man they felt they had a connection with, and they wanted to hear what he had to say. Now, half-Kenyan band Extra Golden has composed a song of praise for the senator. In their attempt to obtain visas to come to the U.S., band members Opiyo Bilongo and Onyango Wuod Omari were assisted by Obama's office, so their praise has a personal slant to it. The duo is joined by Ian Eagleson and Alex Minoff of D.C. band Golden, but the sound is very East African. Most of this is a pure benga tune, full of fluttering, clean-toned guitars, doubled vocals (not in English, either), and a stomping rhythm, but about halfway through the drums lock into a harder rock beat and the guitars take on a little dirt, with the wah-wah pedal all the way down, turning it into a fuzzy rock jam.