Well, I did plan to spend my summer vacation as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia (1965-68) taping drinking songs in various "tej-bets" (honey wine pubs) but somehow I got sidetracked into training prospecting students in reconnaissance field geology techniques. Too bad, I had this vision of becoming the Alan Lomax of Ethiopia, assuming I ever recovered from the hangover. I did manage to tape some work songs, very reminescent of sea shanties complete with falseto yelps and hitches. Some of the one-string fiddle (mashinko) tunes reminded me of Appalachian tunes such as Soldier's Joy; then there was the harp-banjo (krar) which I was delighted to chase after with my five-string banjo. Mnay of the other tunes had much more of a middle eastern sound and were completely puzzling to a "folkie.", and very different to what one hears from West Africa or South Africa. When one is immershed in such an alien culture, there's a tendency to forget to record the everyday happenings, and to focus on unique happenings. Pity, I could do a much better job now, while many of the traditional songs will have evaporated.

It's a pity that the Retired Peace Corps website is not as well organized as this one. I'd love to find out who actually wrote the Peace Corps Training Blues I posted here a while back – creep, creep...