Charles Worrod (Coventry, England, 1912 â€" South Africa, 6 June 2008)
was the proprietor of the Equator Sound Studios record label (see
Equator Records) in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 1950s and 1960s, having
left post-war England to relocate to South Africa, and later, Nairobi
with his wife Wynne. Worrod keenly provided a fruitful atmosphere
where his salaried staff could experiment, learn, and develop. In the
late 1960s, he enrolled six of his core musicians including legendary
Kenyan musician, Daudi Kabaka, in a two-year course at the
Conservatory of Music in Nairobi to learn music notation and theory.
Worrod was never to reap great financial benefits from the recording
industry in East Africa, although he went on to be well known in
musical circles both locally and abroad.Worrod is said to have been
influential in the development of the growing popularity of the
'African Twist' and similar music styles developing at the time. His
hand in the music industry both locally and abroad saw him meeting and
promoting music legends such as Pat Boone and Roger Whittaker.
Initially, Roger Whittaker was under contract to Worrod, who allowed
him to cancel it to pursue a more lucrative career path with
EMI.Worrod is credited with recording songs of international status,
such as Malaika (Fadhili William), Helule Helule (which later caught
the interest of the British pop band, The Tremeloes), and the
Kenyan-nationalised anthem-like Harambee.
was the proprietor of the Equator Sound Studios record label (see
Equator Records) in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 1950s and 1960s, having
left post-war England to relocate to South Africa, and later, Nairobi
with his wife Wynne. Worrod keenly provided a fruitful atmosphere
where his salaried staff could experiment, learn, and develop. In the
late 1960s, he enrolled six of his core musicians including legendary
Kenyan musician, Daudi Kabaka, in a two-year course at the
Conservatory of Music in Nairobi to learn music notation and theory.
Worrod was never to reap great financial benefits from the recording
industry in East Africa, although he went on to be well known in
musical circles both locally and abroad.Worrod is said to have been
influential in the development of the growing popularity of the
'African Twist' and similar music styles developing at the time. His
hand in the music industry both locally and abroad saw him meeting and
promoting music legends such as Pat Boone and Roger Whittaker.
Initially, Roger Whittaker was under contract to Worrod, who allowed
him to cancel it to pursue a more lucrative career path with
EMI.Worrod is credited with recording songs of international status,
such as Malaika (Fadhili William), Helule Helule (which later caught
the interest of the British pop band, The Tremeloes), and the
Kenyan-nationalised anthem-like Harambee.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.