A recording studio which fits into the back of an SUV Story
…pment has been carefully selected so it can easily fit into a few holdalls and four rugged peli-cases which protect everything while in transit, whether it be on a plane from Nairobi or in the back of the van on a bumpy track to one of the remote villages we are heading for. We are adding to our equipment lists all the time as we refine our methods, learn new techniques and face new challenges. For our next field recording trip to Uganda (November…
The Key to Sustainable Aid in Africa? Perhaps we should follow the music. News
…me of the most beautiful music we’ve recorded – from the Batwa of Kisoro Uganda and to the Kel Kar Kwaro of Northern Uganda – was from extremely poor and disadvantage villages. But in both cases, the village structure was strong, the village elders were respected and the teenagers were actively involved in village life. Great music is a proxy for strong social cohesion, not necessarily affluence. One need not go farther than Kilifi Kenya, where th…
What people say about Singing Wells News
…you this morning. Your work is inspiring” Janet Topp Fargion, Lead Curator World and Traditional Music, British Library: “I was so excited to be referred to the Singing Wells Project website. I’ve shared it with a lot of people because these sorts of collaborative efforts at recording, archiving and disseminating music ethically are so important. I met Tabu Osusa and Bill Odidi while doing some training on audiovisual archiving in Kenya as part of…
The New Singing Wells website News
…for. And finally… Please get in touch with us via Twitter or Facebook and let us know what you think of the new site! Our thanks go to Wes Burden and the team at Nebulo Strata who worked tirelessly on the site. …
The Singing Wells supports Ketebul Music’s ‘Kenya at 50’ project News
…ily diaries between the years of 1970 and 2003 are comprehensively written and prove and interesting insight into life in Nairobi at this time. His diary writings tail off towards the end of his life. He died in Nairobi, on the 24th January 2004, aged 84. Colmore was a keen photographer and as his diaries and the archive show – he seems to have taken a photograph of almost everyone he met, including the ruling politicians of the era. The archive a…
The Beat of Kenya News
…ned that she was planning an exhibition of traditional African musical instruments and during her research she had come across Singing Wells. We were able to provide Andrea with some information about the instruments and, importantly, some photos and videos of the instruments being played, which are from our field trip to Western Kenya in November 2011. The instruments now on display at the Manitoba Museum were donated to the museum in 2011 by a C…
A quick summary of the Singing Wells Project News
…nd has returned to host villages of peace and music. We met the Macedonia band and the leader told us a long story, which I will do no justice to in a few words. During one of the rebel movements, the rebels came to his village. The typical mode of operation on these visits was to kill the adult males, seize the boys for fighters and hurt and abuse the women. The band leader tried to convince the leaders that he was a man of peace and music and hi…
Victoria’s reflections on field trip to Northern Uganda News
…o sing us your story and dance us your life Your history’s a melody, you keep it alive Sing us your memories, there’s volumes to tell And we’ll capture your story, we are Singing Wells On my last day in Uganda, just before I had to leave the rest of the team and travel back to London alone, Akello recorded one of her songs with the Watmon Cultural Troupe, in the gardens of the Airport Guesthouse. It’s one of my favourites and brings back happy mem…
The origins of Singing Wells Story
…he inspiration for the name comes from the real-life singing wells of the Samburu tribes people. During the dry season, Samburu herdsmen (and boys) draw much needed water for their cattle from deep wells which they have dug in the parched river bed. As they pull water from these wells they begin to sing, a different song emanating from each well. The animals appear from the bush, seeming to recognize the unique song of their master. Once the anima…
Meet our ‘Influences’ artists News
…g Wells team of three recording field trips – Kenya (Coastal Region); SW Uganda and Kenya (Nyanza Province). Eddie Grey As an artist, Eddie Grey has been considered a fore runner in the entertainment circles and specifically for his contribution to jazz in East Africa. His roots in music begin long before he first touched an instrument. He was born in what he describes as an ordinary family in a modest country side setting. Coming from a musical f…
Akello sings ‘Influences’ songs for Singing Wells News
…Amari’ performed with the Watmon Cultural Troupe Akello Biography Akello is an African contemporary and urban music performer who sings in most popular languages like Acholi, Luganda, Swahili and English..After years of working with a few of Uganda’s leading contemporary and world music greats such as Kaweesa, Susan Kerunen, Myko Ouma, Tshila and Kinobe Herbert..she is indeed a rare talent with a rich textured organic voice. Akello begins a ne…
Day 8: Entebbe to Nairobi and Ketebul Studios Story
…d how did we do? A: I think we did very well on the likembe with Macadonia and Rubanga Kingom. We also recorded a great adungu group (Adungu Cultural Troupe). And we really captured wonderful, traditional vocal harmonies with Anyim Lac, the beautiful old ladies who sang so softly. And there were some real positive surprises. We were very lucky to record the Nanga with the Watmon Cultural Troupe and we had two great examples of the Ndara. But we we…
Promotion of Batwa cultural music: UOBDU report March 2013 News
…ame which will allow them officially to perform and be known at both local and National level among the cultural performers. MIKINGO group Mikingo is in the heart of Kisoro Town Council, Kisoro district and neighboring Kisoro Administration offices. The group has good musicians and can do better if given chance to develop their talents however much they are the poorest among their fellow Batwa due to lack of where to plant even vegetables since…
Day 7 (am) – back to Kampala: Naguru to Entebbe Story
…o’ and ‘bass 2’. As with the Likembe, the bass adungu doubles as the kick drum and this case the drummer was also the vocalist. The band was rounded out with shakers and 3 young women dancers (below). They played four songs. The first was called ‘Adii Mudong‘, which was a traditional piece of music sung in the Alur language. The music is typical to the type of songs you’d hear at a wedding, and the lyrics talk about the happiness that still exists…
Northern Uganda: Day 6 – Soroti to Kampala (a driving story) Story
…here’s a typically day of ‘file management.’ Nick starts by going ‘audio’ and Andy or Steve answers “rolling.” Then for some reason, due to Patrick’s strange way of talking, Nick then says ‘Camera 1?’ and Patrick answers “Camera 1 is speeding”. We have no idea why, but it means that Jimmy and Vicki have to respond with “Camera 2 (or 3) is speeding.” Now with all systems go Nick starts with ‘This is Macedonia with their fourth song Uganda Land of…
How music archives can help communities News
…oints out in the book ‘Ethnomusicology of East Africa: Perspectives from Uganda and Beyond’. In her chapter entitled ‘Connecting with Communities: Building Sustainable Models for Audiovisual Archiving into the Future’, Janet gives us some inspiring examples of how archived recordings have helped communities, one of which centres on the Batwa people of south west Uganda – the community we recorded for the Singing Wells project back in November 2011…