Ota Benga by The May Day Orchestra
The second 'folk opera' by The May Day Orchestra tells the story of Ota Benga, a pygmy man who was taken from Congo and put on display at the 1904 World's Fair in Saint Louis. A simultaneous narrative about Roger Casement weaves into the songs as does a lead pedal steel and the occasional string section. More of a rock angle than the folk arrangements of the previous release.
CD and LP formats available, released by Rankoutsider Records.
Lyrics by Tim Rakel.
Music by Tim Rakel and The May Day Orchestra.
String arrangements by Brien Seyle.
Tracklist
| 1. | Never A Fair Wind Home | 6:20 |
| 2. | Dreamed Another Circus | 4:24 |
| 3. | Forced March | 3:44 |
| 4. | Death Walks Along This Road | 2:55 |
| 5. | The Irish Orphan | 3:47 |
| 6. | Forced March II | 6:51 |
| 7. | The Horror | 4:24 |
| 8. | The Spectacle | 3:12 |
| 9. | The Execution Of Sir Roger Casement | 2:25 |
| 10. | The Suicide Of Ota Benga | 8:22 |
Credits
The May Day Orchestra:
Dave Anderson - pedal steel, banjo, cornet, keyboard
Melissa Anderson - electric guitars, bass guitar, lap steel, vocals
Tim Rakel - vocals, guitar, banjo, kalimba, shruti box, train bell
Josh Weinstein - acoustic bass
Mary Williams - drums, percussion
JJ Hamon - trombone
Brien Seyle - fiddle, viola
Chad Ross - accordion
Kevin Buckley - fiddle
recorded and mixed in Saint Louis, MO by Kevin Buckley
mastered in Chicago, IL by Carl Saff
cover art by Dana Smith
Rankoutsider Records
License
All rights reserved.Tags
The May Day Orchestra was founded in 2008 by songwriter Tim Rakel. The current line-up features drummer Mary DeLeonardis, bassist Jake DeLeonardis and guitarist Charlie Tabing. The band's fourth full album was released in January 2025.