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And you would be forgiven for thinking that the result of this would be messy and under-produced. And to be fair, the recording is about as basic as it gets, recording techniques are limited to the producer moving around the 12' by 12' room from song to song in order to 'mix' the album from the one stereo mic to the minidisk player. And postproduction is equally stripped down, some light eqing and reverb to finish off -- I read this before I listened to the album, and it didn't fill me with any high hopes for what I would find.

What actually comes out of the project is a fantastically raw energetic product that could have easily been killed by over production. The traditional feel of the songs is complemented by the depth of the live recording and the mix is surprisingly good, and achieves what close micing and separation of the instruments might have made less spontaneous and enjoyable.

Mama Africa is the debut album from Ugandan group Peace African Youth Ensemble, a group mainly made up of orphans from Kampala. All the tracks are originals, mainly based around traditional African forms.

The first track 'Omusango Gwabarre' kicks off with African xylophone and enanga, the harp, and is slowly joined by tube fiddle, flute, drums and vocals and sets the tone for the rest of the album. There are lilting instrumentals, as in 'Tunataka Kuwomba' which evolves into a frentic dance tune, and in egalitarian musical tradition most of the instruments and vocalists receive their spot in the limelight.

Whereas most albums aim for the big time, Mama Africa has less all-conquering ambitions, the musicians' aim being to buy a PA system and to be able to afford a rehearsal room, although it seems to have picked up a following on the net, with several music sites championing this catchy debut. Messy and underproduced in places it may be, but this is all part of Mama Africa's charms.

Visit www.peaceafricanyouth.spivideo.com -- for the story of recording the album and pictures from the recording sessions and videos of different projects by the producer Gordon Nicol.