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…“The Voice” Recording the Mperwa Dancers Recording the Batwa The Batwa of Kisoro Album Promotion of Batwa Culture – UOBDU Report Play Video #2 – Finding the Lost Voices of East Africa Play Video Letting Voices Be Heard Our mission at Singing Wells has always been to preserve the rich musical heritage of East Africa, whilst also promoting the importance of introducing this music to a wider audience so that this heritage doesn’t get lost. So many of…
Global Influences Project: Loop Library Page
…ic 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. You can find out more about the band here. You can watch the full visual performance of this song on our Youtube channel by clicking here. Download the loop Joginda Boys – 116BPM Joginda boys are from Aluny Village, East Alego, Kenya. This play wonderful Nyatiti music, with Organda Joginda at the hea…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…l female solo singers and male singers on instruments. It was clear that this orchestra had played together for a long time and were well rehearsed. They have a total of 45 people in their orchestra. They usually play with about 25 and we saw 15. Instruments in this orchestra we saw: 4 violins, 1 oud, 1 base, 1 qanun, 1 accordion, 2 drums and 1 tramboline. They produced a wonderful rich sound. Performers: Taimour Rukuni Taha (secretary general, ac…
Day 5 – Wednesday 5th July 2017 Story
…acticing 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 difference between playing at home, in an informal or traditional setting and playing in a foreign setting (notably in Europe). He said: “When I’m home, I’m free, I don’t care about my tuning…Wh…
Day 4 – Tuesday 4th July 2017 Story
…t Mutumura (born 1940), an excellent nyatiti player. He told us about the history of nyatiti in his family and its presence in all occasions (both weddings and burials), as well as about organised competitions he used to take part in. He remembered the olden days and the hostility among competing players fondly and said that every player had his own hit composition. When we asked him about “Koblong”, he dated it as late as 1980s and even claimed t…
Singing Wells Stories Page
…o listen to the album of the Music of the Batwa, click here: The Batwa of Kisoro Okumu K’Orengo We met and recorded Okumu K’Orengo with his ‘Nyatiti Group’ as part of our field trip to record the music of the Luo in Nyanza in Kenya in December 2011. The group gave a great performance, one of the pieces ‘Ywak’ – a funeral song has featured on every ‘Best of’ Singing Wells compilation to date. It was with great sadness that we learnt after returning…
Day 1 – Saturday 1st July 2017 Story
…Central Nyanza; ‐ Discussion on the nyatiti gender taboo (whether a woman is or is not traditionally allowed to play the nyatiti and the reasons why); ‐ Mention of a Cultural Festival which takes place every year on 27th December and hosts several local nyatiti players; ‐ Discussion on whether a good nyatiti maker needs to be able to play the instrument as well; ‐ Names of currently best nyatiti makers in the area, according to Meshack and mentio…
Pius Wafula Group
…group counts 5 members who play the following instruments: LITUNGU – a 7-string traditional lyre; ISIRILI – a one-string fiddle; LUENGELE– a percussive idiophone, they use a wooden stool struck with wooden sticks; ENG’OMA – a generic term for drums, they use a plastic water container also struck with wooden sticks; CHISASI – shakers made out of gourds. We recorded five of Pius’s original compositions and were amazed with his rough yet mellow voice…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…venues, thus cutting off the main revenue-generating activities of many artists. However, a number of urban-based performers were able to migrate their shows and concerts onto online platforms, reaching their audiences at their homes via live streaming. In doing so, they created new income-generating platforms, as some of these online acts allow audiences to support the musicians via M-pesa and Pay-Pal contributions. Another possibility was to sel…
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…oved the mellow vibes of this track and it’s amazing how well they have incorporated the loops to create a contemporary sounding beat. “It was great working with the samples because they are not just like any random sample from the internet, they have a story behind them and you can look up where the sample you are using came from and learn more about the culture and the people that make them. It’s important to us that we have sounds from our regi…
Day Zero: February 15, 2020 – Assemble in Zanzibar Story
…e trip. First, Zanzibar is an island off Tanzania, with a long colorful history. Before it was ‘controlled’ by the Portuguese in 1503, it was a base for traders between the African great lakes, the Arabian Peninsula and India. In 1698 it came under the control of the Sultan of Oman. Areas were developed to grow spices and this area, which includes Pemba, became known as the Spice Islands. The main trading was in spices, ivory and slaves to th…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…bi and his first wife Joyce Adero in Emulunya village in Kakamega County. His sister, Emily Sikobe, came immediately after him, while his brother Abil Aseta was born of a different mother, Jennifer Osimbo also known as Sengula. She was the second wife of the senior Mukabi and was the woman immortalized by the legendary king of omutibo in the song of the same name. It is reported that Jennifer (Sengula) was allegedly the cause of the death of Georg…
Tarajazz Group
…r in the 1920’s to 1950’s. We spoke to Hassan Mahenge, the assistant director of this band. He is a teacher at the DCMA. He teaches the Oud and plays the saxophone. All the students at the DCMA study traditional music such as Taarab as well as Western music. Members of the group: Suleiman Makame (keyboard, director), Hassan Mahenge (Saxaphone, assistant director), Mahsin Basalama (contra base), Christopher Weston (Cajon and high hat), Regina Juma…
Muturi wa Wandindi Group
… Muturi wa wandindi (Actual name is Geoffrey Mutwiri, Mbaraka). He is from Kigane Village, Nkevene Sub-location, Nicwene Division. He started performing in 1964 and is from the Ameru Ethnic Community. He plays the Wandindi (thus his performance name), which is a ‘tube fiddle’, or what the Luo call the Orutu. …
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…the community. Beni Kachoka – Beni means band and Kachoka means tired. This is a joking way of referring to a brass band that is smaller and more worn out than one would expect. Their music is based on the Brass Band style of the West. The Africans used to make fun of the Big Band sound from Europe by exaggerating the sound and having people with learning disabilities play. Over the years they have come to enjoy it and have created their own bra…
Nile Beat Artists Group
…ts set the condition that she should never play in the rain. “Amagombe”: This is a song about the death of the leader’s father. He wrote it after his father’s death. The song is about what his father told him before he died. “Ebibira”: This song talks about the dangers of deforestation. The forest is where the spirits of the fore fathers can rest. If you destroy the forests, you destroy their homes so they will be loitering around and the living w…