African music began to seep into America's pop consciousness in the 60s, thanks to such South African acts as Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba. In the 70s, the focus shifted to West Africa (Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti), while the 80s and 90s showed off a broader range of interest in almost the entire continent, from the Algerian "rai" music of Cheb Khaled to the bluesy wail of Mali's Ali Farka Toure and the ethno-folk of South Africa's Johnny Clegg. 

Even non-African artists, such as Talking Heads, were beginning to experiment with African rhythms. Yet East Africa somehow got left out of the West's cultural curiosity.