Chibite Group
…4 songs: Dunia Nigahira Samamba: Streamlined. Malugaro: And a Magic Moment with Grace playing the Zeze (large stringed instrument). Throughout, they played stringed instruments, thumb pianos and drums – all four could play each instrument and sing. The instruments were: Zeze: The stringed instrument made from a gourd, which comes in three sizes Ilimba: A lamellophone or modified thumb piano. The large one is call a Chilimba. Junga: shakers for ank…
The Revival of the Entongooli Page
…chopping and shaping, and the next process of preserving the wood through the use of animal dung. More on that later… Simple but Effective Tools Having the right tools for the job doesn’t necessarily mean the most high-tech or complicated. As we show in this video here, the tools needed to continue shaping the base of the Entongooli are very simple, but remain incredibly effective. Using a small hoe, the base of the Entongooli is slowly shaped by…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…tick; LISANDUKU – a box shaped percussive instrument played with a wooden brush; MUTUNGI – a water container used as a drum; EFURIMBI – a metal whistle. Mahindu, who was noticed for his extravagant 1970s disco style outfit, and his group of elderly musicians played for us five original compositions. We also recorded an Infuences session with Fadhilee on one of the guitars. After Omutibo Benga, the same location was used to record Isilia’s group ca…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…ems have their merits and demerits and our choice was no exception as it caused us some delays when the laptop overheated due to the hot tropical sun, resulting in drops in frame rates. We solved this problem simply by avoiding direct sunlight and staying in the shade. Due to the short period assigned for the completion of this project, we did not have time to conduct a recce and for that reason we came to realize rather late that some of the venu…
Here for the Music? Page
…r surroundings. Head here to see some images of our time on the field, the people we meet and the stunning scenery. YouTube You can find the full collection of our video recordings on our Youtube channel. With over 500+ videos for you to choose from, delve into the world of East African music and dance with us. “We set out on this mission not to become ‘fossil collectors’… We work with musicians to make sure their music traditions continue to be…
Bigwala Cultural Group Group
…Nile Hotel in Jinja for the recording session. The Bigwala is the name of the trumpets they play. Song Meanings “Muwe Bwobona Asaba”: When someone asks you kindly assist them. “Mperekera Omwana Womurembe”: When you are walking with someone by your side they are the special one and you don’t look at anyone else. “Mwene Wamwenda”: When you love someone even if they are poor, lame, sick or blind, you just stay with them. Further reading UNESCO: Bigw…
Stories Page
…to uncover many amazing stories with the work that we do at Singing Wells. Use the links below to delve into some of the stories behind the scenes of the field trips, our ongoing projects and some of the incredible people we have met. Music Read some of our articles and stories behind the Music of East Africa. Dive into musical genres, different instruments and the musicians keeping these traditions alive. Picture We manage to take some beautiful…
Mariene Traditional Dancers Group
…Monkey hide. The women cover themselves with green head scarves. The group uses the Kibere (shaker), performed by Jeremiah M’Mbiwiriaft, and the Coro (the flute), played by Simon Muriuki. The group played five songs, plus performed three magic moments: Arabamba Mwarone Mpandi mautine Kirarire: Song about pre-cirumcision; they are calling out to all that can hear that they boys are ready. Wikiri Mariri: Song is about herding… He asks a woman for th…
Biluli Dutwa Group
…eing the soil to the song. Later we saw several videos of how this song is used in the fields to motivate farmers, who hoe to the beat. Throughout Tanzania, we saw school kids walking to/from school with their hoes, where they often tend to small plots at the school. Serengeti: We are near the national park and this is a song in celebration to Tanzanian parks and wild life. Freestyle filming with song Balimi Magic Moment: Song Makule Magic moment…
Otacho Young Stars Group
…rovince, Kenya. We recorded them on our field trip in late 2011, capturing the music of the Luo people. They performed for us in Dinky’s Resort Club, an old dance hall with a grass arena behind it that made the perfect stage for their upbeat and energetic performances. They performed five songs with us at the resort, including ‘Charles Manager’, a sincere song showing gratitude to the manager of a factory who has been doing a good job. We asked th…
Omong’oluk Traditional Dancers Group
…Omong’oluk, the grandson of the founder of the dance group, Longinos Omong’oluk who started the group in the early 1990s. He died in 1998 at 87 years old. We first talked to Ibriam about the instruments and costumes used by the group; these included: Atenus: The bass drum Igelu: Shakers Akwara: Sticks Isiman: Jingles worn around the ankles Etwoo: A gourd that you blow into for a ‘bass’ beat. The dancers wore “Emukule”, skins of cows and more rare…
Unyago Group
Unyago is named after the drums they play and the style. This style is all about ‘Rebels’ and things that women talk about to themselves – very suggestive songs but using innuendo, so all deniable if called out. Traditionally, these were all songs that were part of wedding rituals and used to prepare the bride. Songs about girls becoming women. The singers come from the Wagindo people, who came from Malawi to Zanzibar, probably through the slave…
Bukaala Twesitule Troupe Group
…ory of deaths with man sobbing at one point. “Akabira” (Worship Song): Means a small forest where spirits tend to run, deep in the trees and high in the mountains. But they are not always well cared for and they then tend to cause havoc with the rest of family members. “Omwenge” (a local brew): This is about how the local brew is made in stages and sets out each procedure to produce the brew….
2. Naizungwe Drums – progress report 1 Story
…e early milestones was finding a tree out of which to craft the largest of the drums, no trivial task given the size and type of tree required. Here is our first video, James Isabirye talking about the tree and introducing the project: https://youtu.be/bZUxKhTGmCA The lead drum maker is called Muhamudu Kaziba (in the left of the video above). He comes from a famous family of drum makers from Kalalu village, Buyanga sub country, Bugweri County in I…
1. Introducing the Naizungwe drums Story
…hythmic texture of the drumming, Basoga traditional yodeling and humming plus the poetic recitations can no longer be heard anywhere. As a child I heard the likes of Kamu Kasata and Ndhote singing like that and that is no more. Although I had never seen these drums, the recording spoke to me profoundly. I listened to the recording very many times and every time I listened it sounded ‘sweeter’ and attractive. I kept on asking myself what would happ…
Day 6: Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 Story
…About a child going back to his village after a while and being accepted. Rushwa: about harvests, but also uses a metaphor of a broken chicken leg to say that even if love is broken, it will mend, the ‘girlfriend will come back.’ Rushwa Magic Moment 1: just vocals Magic Moment 2: percussion Malalanga: this is about being quiet because a performance is starting Magic Moment 3: Francis singing ‘Alelewani’ solo. Alelewani with full group Mikocheni M…