S.E. Rogie

S.E. Rogie (Sooliman Ernest Rogie, 1926–1994) was a Sierra Leonean guitarist and singer, a foundational figure in palm wine music — a form of acoustic guitar-based popular music developed in West Africa from the 1920s. Rogie recorded prolifically from the 1950s onward, developing a highly personal guitar style and a smooth, intimate vocal delivery that set him apart from other palm wine guitarists. His albums, including The Palm Wine Sounds of S.E. Rogie (1966), were released in Sierra Leone and later distributed internationally through Rounder and Cooking Vinyl. He moved to the US and then the UK in later life, where he was rediscovered before his death.