Page
…ply from South African kwela, taarab, chakacha and kidumbaak; the most well-known Swahili music forms from the coastal strip of East Africa. The peculiarity of the Benga beat comes from the combination of a sharp lead guitar overriding the rhythm and bass. The pace of the guitars, with a steady rise to a climax or crescendo and an equally quick refrain, together with the arrangement and sectioning mark benga apart from other music. Luo guitarists…
Day Four: Ikolomani to Amalemba Story
…gs around a “Bull Fight” or Mayo Dance Woyo: The song you sing as you move to the venue to watch two bulls fight Ndulu Mumbo: The song you sing to celebrate the winning bull Songs around a funeral (Lwikhulu): Tsimbasi Tsia Mama: A song to console the mother who has lost a loved one. Mwoyo Kulimbila Mwikulu: After you die your heart will be able to rest. Songs for weddings (Shiselelo) Nukhufwale Maua: Giving flowers to the bride after the wedding W…
Day Two: 8 March 2022 (Ilesi) Story
…g brothers and sisters were off to their serene village in Kodedema, close to the Kenya-Uganda border. After the long day, some of the Ketebul Music team decided to accompany our host, Jack Songwa, to unwind at a local pub, at the nearby Ilesi center. We returned to the Josephine Garden just in time for the last orders that evening. Profile: Obasie Palyang Band The Obasie Palnyang Band was founded by the veteran Iteso musician Obasie Palnyang, an…
Kidedeya Group
…. This was a group of wonderful dancing and costume changes. Every song a new and wonderful outfit. We recorded six performances: Omusingero: A song about playing the drums and dancing Nchuma: A song about traditional music that the elders love to play Mrondogomo: A wedding song Kidedeya: A send off song, a marriage song Kidedeya: Freestyle Magic Moment: Omusingero again…
Muwewesi Xylophone Group Group
… Muwewesi Xylophone Group featuring Muniru Ayubu and Kisubi Eliasa on lead vocals. Song meanings “Obutasoma”: a song about education. “Obwiire Bukyeire”: meaning ‘the time has come’. “Obwayu”: a song about poverty. …
Liwambwe Group
…ong drum called the Msondo, and a very long thin drum called a Neya. In the dance they had a character in a mask called a Lipiko, who wore a vest called a Mjuga. They played five songs: Malala Kujunga: Essentially means ‘be calm and quite, we are about to perform and need you to be quiet’ Nchakacha: A dance with the Lipiko (masked character) Tumpete Mwana: ‘Soothing the baby’ Apelambe: About a doctor who has all the medicines to heal, but the sing…
Day One: The Iteso People and their Music Story
…ched to the Ageregere and played three songs: Omaune: This song is about a greedy man who eats alone and doesn’t share his food or time. Okitalee He then switched to the accordion and played three songs: Akidaun Ipejok Ore: A song welcoming visitors to the home. O’enera: Alomuni Kitsese Ko Djibouti: A song about the country you came from. Given that we are linking everything to the actual performances, the less words the better – enjoy the music a…
Day 2 – Sunday 2nd July 2017 Story
…ng techniques vary from player to player, as well as the fact that not all know how to do it correctly. Meshack Okoth Okumu K’orengo then played for us, accompanied with a choir of 5 men of different age, 3 tunes on his nyatiti. The tunes were recorded as follows: Koblo gi long maratong’ Owino Konjwang’ Ojung’ Kogera The recording of songs was followed by a short interview. Probably the most interesting finding of this session was the fact that yo…
Kochia Traditional Dancers Group
…nkey fur. They are accompanied by drumming, and the Tung’, the Luo horn. You can contact the Kagan Kochia group for bookings on +254 700 600881 Sources: www.hivisasa.com www.allafrica.com Homa Bay, Kenya Leader: William Odero Ondiek…
Ayub Ogada Group
…g techniques are very much different from the traditional nyatiti players. He says he created his own style of music and learned to “adapt in order to survive”….
Baseki Group
…arming where the band brought up children from the village and taught them about hoeing the soil to the song. Later we saw several videos of how this song is used in the fields to motivate farmers, who hoe to the beat. Throughout Tanzania, we saw school kids walking to/from school with their hoes, where they often tend to small plots at the school. Serengeti: We are near the national park and this is a song in celebration to Tanzanian parks and wi…
Biluli Dutwa Group
…arming where the band brought up children from the village and taught them about hoeing the soil to the song. Later we saw several videos of how this song is used in the fields to motivate farmers, who hoe to the beat. Throughout Tanzania, we saw school kids walking to/from school with their hoes, where they often tend to small plots at the school. Serengeti: We are near the national park and this is a song in celebration to Tanzanian parks and wi…
Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…women. 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 w…
Day 1 – Saturday 1st July 2017 Story
…e arrival to the field in order to plan on filming economically. According to what was explained by Rapasa, who also makes the instruments, we identified 9 stages of nyatiti making. This would later facilitate following the instrument makers narratives and allow for comparison. Other pertinent information provided by Rapasa during our drive to Kisumu included the types of trees used for nyatiti (with vernacular terms), the symbolism behind nyatiti…
Eridat Makwiri Group
…wn as Mazune, playing the Litungu. Song meanings “Wangoyo”: This is a song about co-wives. One lady was lazy. And she would wait for the co-wife who had already woken up and prepared the food. The wife who had prepared the food tried to keep the food away from the lazy wife and the lazy wife would go complaining to the husband. The message in the song is to not wait for everything to be done for you. “Paulo Wawanyera”: This is someone’s name, mean…
Kika Boys Cultural Troupe Group
…to collect the Mbidde (bananas) Zitandikwe: this means the bananas are now to be buried into a hole dug in the group so they can ripen Siwa Siwa: This talks about grinding the millet on a stone while other people bring gourds in which the local brew will be poured and served Mbereju: This is the name of the drunkard who drinks excessively. He starts to abuse people and pee himself. Sivve Wano: This song is sung by the town drunk and it means, “I w…