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…no better than the other Batwa so I thank you for choosing me. I am happy 1000 times over. My message represents the rest of the Batwa people. I listened to the recording of my song – it was so nice, so sweet.’ The day ended with her joyfully dancing to her own record, with her newborn baby in her arms. It was a moment that made so much of the work put in by the entire team completely worth it. And it has inspired us to continue searching for more…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…e Zeze/Endongwe (a one stringed instrument similar to the Kenyan Orutu and Ugandan Rigi Rigi), Rirandi (a giant horn, similar to the Uganda Big Wala, but made with 6 gourds, not one), Ekeborogo (flute), the Ekedomwa (drums), Ama’ghorro (huge leg shakers), and Firimbi (whistle). They wore Amahunsho (grasses that are attached to the shoulders, and shake with their shoulders’ movement), Enyandusbi (beads) and the men carried Omuhiyo (wooden knife) an…
The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…collection of recordings showcases the field recordings from our December 2012 trip to record the music of the Northern Tribes of Uganda. We began with a base in Gulu, with journeys to Acet and Paibona. In Achet on our first day of recording, we were blessed with a recording location in the shade and 6 groups who turned up to perform their Acholi dance music. Day 2 found us in Paibona, with our first introduction to Likembe music provided by the R…
Rubanga Kingdom Awach Boys Group
…Music of the Acholi Paibona Tugu village, Awach, Northern Uganda…
Cieng Dwong Group
…Music of the Langi Fort Murchison, near Pakwach, Uganda…
Uganda: Music of the Northern Tribes Gallery
Images from the Singing Wells trip to Northern Uganda, Kampala and Entebbe where we recorded the music of the Acholi, Alur and Iteso tribes. The journey started in Entebbe where we collected two vehicles to take the team to towns and villages in the north of the country including Gulu, Pakwach, Nebbi and Soroti. After 5 days recording in the north we returned to Kampala to record two more groups based near Naguru which perform in the traditional…
Singing Wells Stories Page
…ar her collaboration with the Watmon Cultural Group – Amari – click here: 2011 – 2013 sampler CD Winyo Winyo Shipton is a singer songwriter from Kenya. He joined us on our first trip to coastal Kenya to record the music of the Mijikenda. On the first session we recorded, in Gede, Winyo helped to create the Influences series by recording with Nyerere Wa Konde and his son Mr Bado. You can read more about the first influences session by clicking here…
The Batwa of Kisoro Album
The Singing Wells project travelled to Kisoro in southern Uganda in late November 2011. There we met and recorded the music of the Batwa communities. We were so taken by the music we heard, we then invited some of the musicians back to Nairobi to record more of their music at the Ketebul Studios. The album begins in the village of the Birara Community – with the village leader Francis taking the main role on the performance. The Mperwa dancers ar…
Day One: The Iteso People and their Music Story
…Relations and Diplomacy. His first break in professional music was at the 2008 edition of Spotlight on Kenyan Music, where he represented Nairobi with his song ‘Jawabu’, which features on the compilation album. Other than the guitar he also plays the drums and the chivoti. We welcome Fadhilee to Singing Wells and hope you enjoy his contributions! From Obekai, we drove to Kodedema, to record Obasie Palnyang. The group was founded in 1958 by Obasie’…
Nile Beat Artists Group
…previous member of the band was Seby Ntege, who left Uganda in the early 2000s and moved to the UK, keen to evolve his sound. He plays the Kora, and much of his writing combines West African instruments with an East African writing style. Song Meanings “Ikobo Kobo”: It is a type of herb. It is a song about a girl who is very bitter because her mother will not let her play with her friends freely. The mother explains to her that she was barren but…
What We Do Page
…usic of the Kalenjin, Great Rift Valley, Kenya Music of the Batwa, Kisoro, Uganda Music of the northern tribes, Uganda (Acholi, Alur, Langi, Iteso) Music of Central & East Uganda Music of Eastern and Central Kenya During each field visit we are invariably struck by a particularly talented or exciting musician or music group. When this happens we arrange for them to travel to Ketebul Music in Nairobi to record their music in the studio. Many of the…
Bigwala Cultural Group Group
…wenda”: When you love someone even if they are poor, lame, sick or blind, you just stay with them. Further reading UNESCO: Bigwala, gourd trumpet music and dance of the Busoga Kingdom in Uganda. Inscribed in 2012 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Click here for the link to the UNESCO website….
Adungu Instrument
The Adungu is a stringed instrument we encountered in Northern Uganda. We also recorded an Adungu group in Kampala, as we passed back through on the way to Entebbe. It is an arched harp instrument with between 7 and 10 or more strings. They vary in size between smaller instruments, played close to the body and the larger bass adungu, on which the player can sit. The sound box is commonly covered in animal hide, and is also at times used as a…
Global Influences Project: Loop Library Page
…Ekhunjwe Musical Group – 153BPM Ekhunjwe ya Abasamia was formed in April 2008 with common focus on using music as a tool for community development. The group promotes traditional African values and acts in both education and local economy. Members also engage in traditional crafts like basket weaving and jewellery making for exhibition and sale. You can learn more about the group here. You can watch the full visual performance of this song on our…
Hannah Calascione Staff Profile
…the all important context for the songs and dances we will be recording in the field. …
Aynu Traditional Group Group
…) and a tin sheet for percussion. The Lugbara Tribe Population: Around 900,000 History: They were known in the 19th century as ‘The Naked People’, due to the lacking importance of clothes in their culture. In the early days, the Lugbara were a mainly chiefdom-based community. They did not have kingdoms and kings presiding over them as like other ethnic groups in Uganda. They mainly had chiefs who were their leaders. They formed friendly alliances…