British-Sudanese writer Jamal Mahjoub's latest novel The Fugitives is a delightful tale of a fictional Sudanese dance band, the Kamanga Kings, and how the son of one of the founders, an English teacher called Rushdy, reforms the band and goes on a raucous road trip to play their music in the US.
Several novels about music and society have appeared in this column over the years, such as Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, Roddy Doyle's The Commitments, Oscar Hijuelos' The Mambo Kings, and my favourite, the novella about Buddy Bolden's life (one of the early pioneers of jazz), Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje.
Many of these novels were made into successful movies. For instance, in Thailand, a novel about an aspiring luk thung singer Mon Rak Transistor by the late political exile Wat Wanlayangkoon was made into a very successful movie in 2001, directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. If you feel down or have the blues, I highly recommend you get a copy of the film (legal ones are readily available) and enjoy its romantic tale (and the wonderful theme song by legend Surapon Sombatcharoen, Luem Mai Long).
