Pius Wafula

Group Information

Another famous tindkti player/singer – Pius Wafula. We recorded a session with him and his band called “Webuye International” at the beautiful Nabuyole Falls in Chetambe location of Webuye sub-county (Bungoma County). Pius, singer and player of shirili fiddle, used to play with a famous local 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 recorded five of Pius’s original compositions and were amazed with his rough yet mellow voice.