Zam Zam Group
…thers and two sons (youngest is 10) in this group. Songs: Mzuri Sana Nabia – About the Prophet Mohamed Yaa Nabia Salamu Alaika – Greeting for the Prophet Mohamed sung in Arabic. Hongera Bwana Harusi – Congratulations to the bride and groom Ilifurahika – The whole world is rejoicing after the battle of the prophets Ndoa Ni Sunna Adhimu – Perfect Marriage…
Group 1: Inganzo Ngari Group Story
…tion – a modern twist on the tradition. These were performed just be male drummers. These drums were once used for announcements among the ancestors, summoning people to the village, for celebration, and – most unexpectedly – for when the king was sleeping, to gently soothe him with rhythmic drumming. The individual drum is called Ngoma. Then came a slow dance (Umushagiriro), an ancestral dance just performed by female dancers that honors the eleg…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…tarted playing music in 1958 and has mastered several Teso traditional instruments. Today he plays with an old friend – Mzee (Edler) Ikobulo (born 1932) and his daughters as back-vocals. Through a series of 8 songs, he showcased three major instruments: ADEUDEU – 5-strings arced harp; AGEREGERE – a one-string traditional fiddle; ACCORDION. All through the session, Obasie was accompanied by a percussionist on a drum called atenus amwatonitand by Mz…
What We Do Page
…d Uganda. Our long term goal is to visit each country in East Africa and research, document and record the music and dance of the major traditional music styles of each region. Click on the following links to read our field reports from each of our visits: Music of the Mijikenda – Kenya’s Coastal Region Music of the Luo – Nyanza Province, Kenya Music of the Kalenjin, Great Rift Valley, Kenya Music of the Batwa, Kisoro, Uganda Music of the northern…
Elgon Ngoma Troupe Group
…the traditional drums of his culture. The Kadodi is made up of a big bass drum, a solo drum played with a stick, a rhythm drum played with hands, a smaller high pitched drum and a shaker. From two members of his group, they became a band of 12 players. They named themselves the Elgon (the local mountain) Ngoma (generic term for drums) Troupe and starting in 2009 played all sorts of functions that would bring money in to support the band members, a…
Arrival to Rwanda, Background and Objectives Story
…s of Singing Wells. Tabu is a legend of East African Music and founded and runs Ketebul Music in Nairobi. Jimmy runs Abubilla Music in London as well as the Abubilla Music Foundation which support Singing Wells. Here we are with Abdul, who you will meet in two days (Tabu far left, Jimmy far right. And here’s the founding, original team of Singing Wells, during the presentation of a Commemorative 10 year map of all of our work (this time, not to tr…
Winyo Staff Profile
…ience. Winyo is also a professional photographer, actor and a TV producer. He is currently the executive video producer for a Kenyan media company called Big Foot productions, which has produced several local TV shows. His goal is to take African music all over the world and enliven people to dance and sing to the sweet and melodic sounds of African songs and music. Winyo is a valued member of the Singing Wells team as one of our artists on the ‘I…
Andy Patterson Staff Profile
…oth engineering and technical duties for a wide range of clients, from the world of pop music through to film composers. He has worked with Abubilla Music for around 5 years and has co-engineered and produced all of the releases to date. His past clients have included the late Gerry Rafferty, Q Radio, Bauer Media and Live8. His role for The Singing Wells project sees him heading up the engineering team in the field. He also works on the post produ…
Aynu Traditional Group Group
…men). Spirit created a man (gboro-gboro) and a woman (meme), and then domestic livestock. Meme had wild animals in her womb so that after the gazelle had broken out all animals followed from her womb. Man was the last to come out. The first human beings are said to have been twins: Arube and O’duu. Arube was a boy while O’duu was a girl. These twins, unlike their parents Gboro-Gboro and Meme, were believed to have been ordinary human beings and tr…
Support Singing Wells Page
…ique gift back from the field visit – a traditional, hand made musical instrument typical of the region. Donate £3000 and Sponsor a Recording Day CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW * Please note: donations are made to the Abubilla Music Foundation, our registered charity which funds the Singing Wells project Other Ways to Donate Download an album Recorded for Singing Wells via our Bandcamp page. Your purchase of one of our albums, or an individual song, wil…
Watmon Cultural Group Group
…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 an ‘instrumental extravaganza’. Sources: Sounds and Colours www.dailymonitor.co.ug The Guardian…
Group 3: Makanyaga Abdul Story
…n de Dieu – singer Lutagengwa Francoise – singer and dancer Songs we heard today: Urukundo rurambuye – meaning Endless Love, a love song Garuka Susanna – meaning Come back Susanna, also a love song about a lost love, Susanna. Gikundiro – meaning Someone Loved Hashize Iminsi – about lost love. It’s been a long time looking for and waiting for my love but never seeing her. Ngwino Mukunzi – meaning Come my Love Nagera Muri Bari – meaning When I get t…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…leader, on violin, Kheri Mizaka Aliy on African Bass, Makame Ali Juma on drum, Buruhami Makame Haji on 2nd drum, Mgeni Seleiman Makame on sticks, Said Ame Othman on shakers, Aikazija Abdala Ame -dancer, Mirianaharus Juma Hamis – dancer. All sang but Mohamed Othman Faki was lead singer. Sanduku , the bass, was a homemade bass made of a large box with a small hole cut out in the front. It had a large stick which the player held perpendicular to th…
Imachina Group
…d the song tells people to come toward the smell and honour the man. Don’t run from this, confront it and honour his memory. The Mayo Procession – this is about bullfighting. The songs include: Lukumili: This is about the moment the horns lock between the two fighting bulls and the context really begins. Ing’ombe: This is about the bulls (I can’t read my handwriting here!) Iminyi: This is a type of bird that hides in roofs and is difficult to find…
Day 1 – Saturday 1st July 2017 Story
…tree) and poch ondero (fig tree); ‐ Trees used or arms and head of the instrument – powo, siala (vernacular names, corresponding Latin and/or English names TBC); ‐ Dispute over which part of the region the instrument first originated in – South Nyanza or 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…
Nick Abonyo Staff Profile
…Nick has been working as an intern at Ketebul Music since May 2011. He is from the Luo tribe and was born in Mirogi and raised in Kanyamwa. He graduated from High School in 2006 and then studied Information Technology at University. To read our more detailed interview with Nick click here….