The recordings for “Living Is Hard – West African Music In Britain, 1927 – 29” come from the huge EMI Hayes Archive, where more than 150,000 original shellacs from the colonies were waiting to be rediscovered by the English label Honest Jon’s. The compilation series kicks off with the album “Living Is Hard” with historical recordings from the West African underground in England in the 1920s. The tracks were released on the Zonophone label at the time, and a large part of the editions were shipped to Africa at the time. Occasionally the Caribbean influence can be heard, then again a foreboding of Highlife touches you, but generally the pieces avoid any form of assimilation or fusion with foreign styles. In contrast to other varieties of black music in England, West African music remained virtually free of white influences. So the songs on “Living Is Hard” not only document the roots of today’s African music, but also the messages of the emigrants of that time to those who stayed at home.