Meeting Ketebul: an interview with Tabu News
…rican heritage. Many of the musicians we record from remote tribes are old and we run the risk of the traditional music in Kenya dying out, we don’t want to see that happen. Further, most recording studios are in the city: Nairobi. It’s not possible for those living in the villages to come here, so if we don’t go to them to record, these guys may never be heard and the music will be lost.We play a very important part of bridging the gap between yo…
What’s in the box? Story
…November 28th, 2011 – Jimmy’s 51st Birthday and we’re at Rang-ala Village, Nyanza, recording the Ogoya Nengo. As a surprise, the village arranges a little birthday celebration. And in this lovely life box was a live chicken to ease Jimmy’s transition into middle age. The village and Jimmy fared better than the Chicken that became the centre of a lovely Birthday meal……
From African Twist to Benga News
…of Benga, the African Twist, Luhyia ‘Omutibo’ and the ‘Yoddeling’ sound adapted by the Kikuyu musicians of the ’60s. We dedicated six days of studio time at Ketebul Music in Nairobi to record this set of legendary musical artistes, all of whom are now in their 60s and 70s and are critical to Kenyan music history. We are very proud of this unique album and hope you enjoy listening to the ‘old masters’. Our recordings are particularly poignant as Oc…
The repatriation of Kenya’s music heritage News
…triation of these recordings began in August, during a two-week pilot project in Kenya’s Rift Valley led by Prof Diane Thram, Director of the International Library of African Music (ILAM) in South Africa and the team from Ketebul Music, supported and funded by The Abubilla Music Foundation as part of the Singing Wells project. Read Bill Odidi’s article about the August project here….
Ten More Singing Wells Stories News
…ant farming in scattered villages around Kisoro. They live on the poorest land, and in many cases this means land high up in the green hills of Uganda far from trading villages. Our visit to record the Batwa was supported by UOBDU. What we discovered in the Batwa was musicians of extraordinary talent and their music provides a soundtrack for the costs of all simple solutions; well-intentioned actions to protect an animal species have marginalised…
Current Leading Figures News
…East African music industry’, Tabu has been a promoter, producer, composer and band manager and, since 2007, the founding Executive Director of Ketebul Music. However, the projects in which he is involved reach far and wide, with his expertise and passion not just being limited to the invaluable work he does at Singing Wells and Ketebul Music. Tabu co-chairs the committee of the “Spotlight on Kenyan Music“ project – a video from the 2013 festival…
Music Depositories and Archives around the World News
…’s recordings, with work currently being done to also make the Dave Dargie and Andrew Tracey Collections available for online access. There are over 12000 30 second recordings from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The archive grants access to anyone who is interested and is not restricted to academic or research purposes. The physical archive at Rhodes University is open normal business hours, unless special arrangements are made. 2. Global Music Archive T…
Room with a view…but where is it? Story
…he Virunga range. On the right is smaller Mount Gahinga (3474m). During the Singing Wells field visit to record the Music of the Batwa, we stayed at the Traveller’s Rest Hotel in Kisoro and this was the view which greeted us each morning. It was a wonderful place to stay and the staff were incredibly helpful and let us set up a recording studio under the verandah in the garden, much to the surprise of the other guests who were there for the trekki…
A History of Recording East African Music News
…(students) some background and some context; they would be able to understand and go find out more by themselves […] My thinking is that a culture that doesn’t have a history is a dead one.” His recordings are available to play online, for anyone, in the Klaus Wachsmann Collection at the British Library. Copies of his recordings can also be found at the UCLA archive, but cannot be streamed online. David Fanshawe 1942 – 2010 David Fanshawe recor…
Tracey Instrument Collection News
…Sharp crackling sound contrasts with warmer cowhide sound of the laced ‘Uganda drums’.’ It is made from legavaan, or rock monitor (a large type of lizard found in South Africa), skin which gives it the ‘crackling’ sound. The legavaan is now actually endangered in Uganda, as it is demanded so much for drums, lyres and fiddles. Endara log xylophone The xylophone is 263.5cm long, made up of 16 roughly cut keys and tuned to a pentatonic scale. It is…
ILAM, Repatriation and Jimmie Rodgers/Chemirocha News
…spired by early African village music. We listen to the likembe music in Uganda and here the steel drums of Calypso music. We listen to Benga blues and here the music of Cuba, demanding that we look further into the circles travelled between musicians between the Congo and Cuba, and we listen to Samba drumming and particularly the tambourin only to be reminded of the Watmon Cultural Group’s use of the Calabash. Our heads appropriately spin and we’…
James Isabirye and Tabu Osusa Discuss East African Music News
…ned. I know that Hugh Tracy blamed Christianity. The churches came to the land and convinced the people that the old ways were evil. Traditional instruments with drums were part of the pagan culture and needed to be erased. Traditional songs about spirits, about witch doctors needed to be ended and replaced with Christian music. James: I think that explains some of it. But the church no longer does that and yet we still reject the old ways. I thin…
Preserving Threatened Heritage News
…ns, funerals and, recently, other social events. It is the music of gourd trumpets and is accompanied by a specific dance. UNESCO cites Bigwala music as playing ‘a significant role in contributing to unity among the Basoga people’, as it narrates the history of the Basoga people, especially concerning their King. It makes important links to their past and cultural heritage, whilst also dealing with issues such as leadership, marriage problems and…
Report from Womex 2013 News
…hen they held a Google hangout between guest Moby and a few of his friends and live streamed the result on YouTube – something I am keen to try in the future. The Evolving Markets discussion looked at both the African and Indian markets and how the markets are evolving. India was a particular suprise here – in a population of 1.2 billion, 50 % are under 30 and consuming music. In Africa – 60% have electricity whereas 86% have a mobile phone. Thi…
Obuell-Lira and the Macedonia Band Story
…nd has returned to host villages of peace and music. We met the Macedonia Band and their leader, Joshua, who told us their incredible story, which we will try and do justice to here… During the civil war villages in the region were under rebel control from 1989-1992. The rebels came to the village to kill the men and seize the boys to take into the bush to fight. Joshua tried to convince the rebel leaders that he was a man of peace and music and a…
SWP Uganda 2013 – our proposed itinerary News
…o). Mata, (Lusoga for ‘milk’) as he is popularly known, has lost his sight and lives in very humble conditions with his family. He said he was glad we had visited him and was looking forward to our return in November.” After our recording session with ‘Mata’ we will head to Nabirere and the Bigwala Group, which is led by a frail but jovial old man called Lugolole. He is the only surviving member of the original Bigwara Group which featured the ‘Ol…