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…couldn’t miss the opportunity to capture the true sound. With a lapel microphone on our lead lady and another microphone directly on the adungu, we asked the group to continue. At the end of the session we played the recording back and a magical voice and sound emerged – the old lady, sitting on the blanket in the middle of this village surrounded by her whole community, had a beautiful, strong, pitch perfect voice. It is moments like this that ma…
Bukaala Twesitule Troupe Group
…rye Musical style is Baganda. Song meanings “Bana Uganda Banange”: It is about a particular brand of beer called Senator Lager. It has contributed to the local economic development because it uses ingredients grown in Uganda. “Abag’ageno”: Talks about HIV and the factors influencing the spread of HIV and how the community can come together to deal with it. Very tragic song telling the story of deaths with man sobbing at one point. “Akabira” (Worsh…
Watmon Cultural Group Group
…art of it, and from that point the group became an institution. In the fallout of the war against Idi Amin’s regime, many people were looking for an escape, and the troupe presented just such an opportunity. The group performed for President George Bush during a state visit to Uganda. They were also recorded in 2012 for the BBC’s World Routes album, presented by ethnomusicologist Lucy Duran. Their performance was described by Sounds and Colours as…
Kidinda Cultural Group Group
…Music in the Kidinda style using the Amadinda, a 22 slab xylophone which was historically an instrument which could only be played in front of the King. Original group founders are: Sulayiman Sserubiri and Kiwuwa Buruhan The group are from Kidinda, Uganda…
Ayub Ogada Group
…s career and studied from a player/teacher at the national cultural centre of Bomas of Kenya in the 1980s. He remembers he had gone for 6 lessons (at a 100 shillings) only and then continued practicing and experimenting by himself. It was equally interesting to hear his theory of the name nyatiti, which he translated from the Luo word nyar as queen and titi, making it “the queen of the clan”. The most interesting points Ayub had made were on the d…
Uganda: music of the Batwa Gallery
…e stayed at the Traveller’s Rest Hotel. Our hosts were from the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBDU) who arranged for us to record the performances of six Batwa communities from the district of Kisoro – Birara, Mpwera, Kanyabukunga, Micyingo, Gatera and Kabahenda….
The Batwa of Kisoro Album
…as it was empty. The Togetherness group gave us a spirited performance and one of the tracks is on the album. The remainder of the field recordings were made at the Travellers Rest Hotel in Kisoro – battling through torrential rain, a storm of locusts and power cuts to be able to record. The Kabahenda, Gatera and Micyingo communities performing for us under the veranda of the hotel. Also included is an influences session where Winyo collaborated w…
Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…men. It is a common folk song. “Omuntu Kyakola”: When someone is jealous about what someone else is doing; when some one works hard, others want to bring you down. “Yoyenda”: The one you love. The song invites everyone to show who they love to the rest of the community. Performed at introduction ceremonies – a traditional party where a girl introduces the man to her parents. “Nsomesa Nsomesa”: When a child goes to school and they don’t perform wel…
Maisha Bora Suba Group
…mbete community. Their style is Rirandi and they play the 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), Enyandus…
Day Three: January 20th, 2019 Story
…ma tree. We recorded eight songs with them: Balogi Wa Ngamboshi: This is about the Wizards of Balogi, where wizardry is perceived as a negative thing, evoking witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. Simiyu: A song for praise for the region. Bahuni ba ng’wanza: A song referring to local women of questionable virtues Balimi: A song about farming where the band brought up children from the village and taught them about hoeing the soil to the song. Late…
The Music of the Mijikenda Album
…Supaki Kalazo and Sengenya recorded in Junda, Mombasa. We then headed to the South Coast and recorded in Vuga, Kwale County. The ZigiDigi Cultural Troupe and Muungano Kayamba providing the music. The album also includes two ‘influences’ recordings – one including Ketebul artist Winyo with Nyerere Wa Konde and his son Mr Bado. The other is Winyo performing with members of the Zigi Digi Cultural Troupe, during the session in Sila. …
Matende Culture Isukuti Youth Group Group
…o (during the circumcision) Bwambo (after) Magic Moment: Kahithi returns. Kahithi had stayed with this village and band during her research and the joy of the village at her return was amazing. Everyone felt they needed to dance!…
Otacho Young Stars Group
…on in this group is particularly impressive, with ongeng’o rings used both by themselves, and also together with the Nyangile, a wooden box topped with two of the rings, one of which is held with the feet, and beaten with a stick….
Kumbaka Asee Group
… Kumbuka Asee: The group is led by Margaret Mbia and plays in the musical style of Kilumi, wathi wa kikamba. They are also from the Kamba ethnic community (ukamba wa kitui). They have 15 members and are inspired by kithio kya mukambu (Kamba tradition). They were formed in 1974. They use two drums called Kilumi, played by Makai King’ei and Koka Mbindyo. They played two songs: Itinga Levu…
Serengeti Group Group
…y of Kuria and played in the Ritungu style – this style refers to the form of dancing where the two lead dancers ‘nodded’ their head in almost a trance like way to the music and to their large eight-stringed instrument. We were mesmerized. Their instruments included the: Zeze, Virandi (shakers), and Ritungu (eight stringed instrument, huge Nyatiti). The group had three musicians in ‘red’ and two dancers in ‘white.’ The dancers were performing a ‘h…
The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…roduction to Likembe music provided by the Rubanga Kingom Awach Boys. The youthful energy of Ker Kel Kwaro followed, with our third group being led by an old lady and master of the Adungu (the Acholi version of the instrument – a three stringed lyre played using the chin). Waroco Terawo were our fourth group. A long drive out west brought us to Fort Murchison and Pakwach. We went on further to Widianga village and the Alur Kingdom Troupe. Later th…