sooliman ernest rogie was born in 1926 in the town of fonikoh, pujehun district in southern province sierra leone, and later became one of the country's most popular performers, achieving a hit single with "my lovely elizabeth". his musical style was rooted in the country's highlife music, but, having been influenced by country music as a child, he combined western pop and folk influences with his smooth baritone vocals and subtle, finger-picked, acoustic guitar-played melodies to create his take on palm wine music, which he named in reference to the alcoholic drink made using the naturally fermented fap from palm trees in sierra leone. rogie has been credited with bringing the genre to an international audience. seeking to escape his politically-troubled country, he emigrated to england in 1973, creating the record label rogiephone, who issued his first album, "african lady", in 1975, although in 1988, he moved back to his native sierra leone.