Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…ani: about neighbours, where the band remembered times when all neighbours used to support one another Maria: A story about a woman that abandoned her kids Mazingira: a song about the environment and the need to protect the environment. Examples included stopping use of plastics and keeping your waste water away from your drinking water. Magic Moment: We recorded the beats of Majirani, percussion only Magic Moment: Majirani again to record slightl…
Day 5 – Wednesday 5th July 2017 Story
…Ogada, probably the most internationally acclaimed Kenyan musician, whose use of the nyatiti in different musical genres is both original and pertinent for our Masters of the Nyatiti story. We spent the day at his home in Nyahera location, not far from Kisumu town, and conducted a long yet free of form type of interview. Although a Luo himself, Ayub had never learned how to play the nyatiti in a traditional setting. He picked it up later in his c…
Day Five: Ilesi, Khayega to Kisumu Story
…t arranged by Eric and his partner Moses Alusa. Their style is Milbo. They use drums and shiriri, but also a Shikhorli which we haven’t seen before. This is a shaker/bell, where two ball bearings of different sizes/tones are welded into metal pouches and then he plays. Moses is considered the best Shikhorli maker in the area. Here’s the band. Their songs included: Mukhana Mulabu: This is about a brown girl, that is whiter than most the girls in th…
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…
Kaniini Kaseo Group
…e 16 members and were formed in 1980. They performed 3 songs, all of which use the Ileve (tin shaker, played by Mumbi Wambua) and Vilingi (whistle): Mutambo wa iiu: This means the trunk of a banana tree; it says that the trunk can’t be climbed by boys. Mutongoi: This is a song sung to a political leader in the area. The song praises the politician and asks the people to vote for him – he’s Kyonekana na nengwe. His name means, “if seen give it to h…
The Revival of the Entongooli Page
…re turned from strips of cow skin, to tightly wound and stretched strings, used to secure the two skins onto the entongooli base for stretching and drying. This is the last part of the process before the threads are used to tune the Entongooli base. Stringing it Together In this latest video, we go back to visit our music scholars after a month away (due to the political climate and the Covid pandemic). Here we go back to our original instrument a…
FAQ’s Page
…ubilla Music. Profits arising from the sale of Influences material will be used to support the artists and music projects and aspiring musicians in East Africa. Can I help in some way? We’d love it if you could help – be in in drumming up publicity for our cause or offering to perform some post production of our material. Maybe you could help with our fundraising efforts. Please get in touch and let us know how you would like to help. Will you com…
Twone Mbee Group
…song they use the Ileve (tin thaker) and Vilingi (whistle). David Kithome uses shaker and Christine Kisove and Eliza Musyoka use the whistles. The song encourages parents to invest in education because that is key to success. ‘Mwaki’: This is a political phrase song praising a prospective parliamentarian. It discourages other prospective candidates from attempting the position because it is already taken by the one they are praising. ‘Nzembanie n…
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…ant you to create your own artistic responses using these loops. You could use these loops to create a house track, as inspiration for a dance piece, or as the soundtrack to a painting you create. Whatever your response is, we want to see it! Click here to access the Global Influences Artist Submissions We will be sharing all of the artist submissions on this page so you can keep up to date with the incredible commissions we receive. If you want t…
Ayub Ogada Group
…Ogada, probably the most internationally acclaimed Kenyan musician, whose use of the nyatiti in different musical genres is both original and pertinent for our Masters of the Nyatiti story. We spent the day at his home in Nyahera location, not far from Kisumu town, and conducted a long yet free of form type of interview. Although a Luo himself, Ayub had never learned how to play the nyatiti in a traditional setting. He picked it up later in his c…
Pius Wafula Group
…al group called “Webuye Jua Kali” up to 2009, when he founded his own group. Today the 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 record…
Day 3 – Monday 3rd July 2017 Story
…onator (ex. afene, maembe, ondero, mugombra) as he said he could basically use any “as long as it’s strong and the right size”. Another interesting piece of information gathered during this interview was Sewa’s description of the small pointy decoration on the bottom of the resonator we had previously referred to as ‘the nipple’. According to him, this is in fact the umbilical cord of the instrument (in vernacular pende thum), which makes the reso…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…nd Pay-Pal contributions. Another possibility was to sell tickets with the use of online access codes that admit ticket holders into the virtual performance. The result was that a number of live streaming studios where performers book sessions to perform and stream their concerts sprung up in Nairobi. Some venues also adapted to hosting online performances, directly streaming shows to mobile devices and computers of audiences wherever they may be….
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…aarab influence. They sing for weddings, celebations and the harvest. They use traditional Zanzibar drums: Vumi – a tall, narrow, large drum based on the floor, Kinganga – a short medium sized drum, a Bati – a high hat, a Chapuo – a long narrow drum held under the arm, a Dutu – a smaller version of the Chapuo and Masewe – shakers worn on the legs. The most notable instrument was a type of horn made out of a gourd. Performers (all men): Shaaban Mw…
Mohamed Uthman Kidumbak Group Group
…t Yalait – Love song to Yalait, a woman’s name Hongera Mwanangu – Congratulations my child, used for weddings to congratulate the newlyweds or the bride. Muhogo Wa Jangombe – Means cassava of Jongombe. In Swahili these songs don’t tell you directly what they are trying to say. They use metaphor and analogies. Here the message is: “Don’t insult the midwife because you might need her again.” The song is about not taking cassavas for granted. Kidole…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…It was interesting to note the differences between the isukuti drums they used and the ones Isukha and Idakho Luhyas use. Notably, the main difference was the fact their isukuti were made with cow skin, whereas the ones in Kakamega must be made from molitor lizard skin. Another significant difference was in the way they referred to the various sizes of isukuti drums. Isilia’s group refers to them as: SUKUTI NGALI – the main (father) sukutidrum; M…