So I’ve been able to do some pretty cool trips during the past four years in Africa. My five days aboard a Canadian frigate, HMCS Ville de Quebec, were probably among the most fun. The frigate was pulled away from its Nato duties in the Med a couple of months ago in order to escort WFP deliveries of food into Mogadishu. The ship is due to head back towards the Med at the weekend, leaving aid officials wondering how they will manage to feed Somalia’s starving millions. (Although it’s starting to sound like the Canadians will stay on…)
Anyway, while my “rack” was anything but luxurious, I have to say that life on board for visitors was pretty good. I ate some of the best cake I’ve had in Africa (or slightly off the coast of Africa, I guess) which apparently had come all the way from Canada in the freezer and it turns out that there’s much more to Canadian beer than watery Labatts.
But the best bit of all was discovering that sea shanties are still enjoyed by the sailors below decks. I had loaded up my iPod with Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean tie-in project (excellent by the way), and frankly wondered whether I was being a bit stupid to imagine that today’s sailors still listened to songs of the sea. Turns out they do. Much of it comes from Newfoundland, as do many of the crew. Great Big Sea who blend traditional seafaring songs with a modern edge were rarely off the iPod in the Main Cave, where the sailors relax over a Keith’s. Stan Rogers has a more more straightforward sound, but best of all were the Irish Descendants, every bit as raucous as you’d expect.
For someone brought up with The Dubliners and The Chieftains its great to stumble across a new chunk of related music. And even better to know that these songs are still being written, performed and enjoyed by new generations – and that this is not just museum music.

• Ewen and the Gold, Dick Gaughan (Redwood Cathedral) – You caught the line they threw you, you helped to make her fast, You heard the sailors talking in the rigging. Marvellous
• Bottle of Smoke, The Pogues (If I Should Fall From Grace with God) – not really a sea song or shanty but certainly the sort of thing Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslett might dance to below decks
• The Wild Goose, Kate Rusby (Sleepless) – plenty of nonsense lyrics. And if the sirens sound like Kate Rusby then I’m a goner
• Jolly Roger, Adam and the Ants (Kings of the Wild Frontier) – still one of the greatest albums of all time
• Rolling Sea, Eliza Carthy (Rogues’ Gallery – Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys) – a new purchase for the trip. I’ve long been a fan of Eliza Carthy but Johnny Depp’s sea songs side project has had distinctly mixed reviews

It’s been a while (largely thanks to the inability of Kenyan politicians to agree on anything) but now that I’m back on the road it’s time to dip back into the Safari Soundtrack. For the uninitiated, it’s my attempt to match Africa’s vast landscapes with the perfect music. It means big, bold and epic. For the initiated, you’re probably starting to think I’m just picking my favourite songs.
Anyway, here’s what I’ve been listening to during my helicopter rides around Darfur:
Flowers and Football Tops, Glasvegas – imagine The Mary Chain playing Phil Spector. Say no more
Time to Pretend, MGMT – another one that’s probably desperately old hat to all you hipsters but I’ve only just found it
Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake, Grandaddy – this actually has been a mainstay of roadtrips without ever having made it on to the Soundtrack before
All suggestions for my Safari Soundtrack are gratefully received.