Music of Northern Uganda: video playlist News
…In December 2012 the Singing Wells team travelled to Uganda to record the music of the northern tribes, including the Alur, Acholi, Iteso and Langi. To read the daily field reports from this trip, click here. The trip was facilitated by the generous support of donors to our charity the Abubilla Music Foundation. Video playlist…
Hannah interviews Sabina – Acet, Northern Uganda News
…ld never play it before the war or before the operation, it is a gift from Him to help me heal. We also have the Rigi Rigi (tube fiddle, similar to the Orutu) the Bul (drums) and the Agwara (similar to a calabash) but mainly, as you saw, we sing and we dance. Hannah December 2012…
The origins of Singing Wells Story
…ich aims to preserve, celebrate and share the unique music traditions and heritage of East Africa. Jimmy Allen, Founder Abubilla Music and Trustee of the Abubilla Music Foundation…
Meet our ‘Influences’ artists News
…c in languages like Acholi (her mother tongue), luganda, abit of Kiswahili and English, among other languages. Akello started her musical journey as a young girl in her junior school leading in school musicals. Later on at 13 years she began participating in church, where she sang during conferences, believers’ gatherings and conventions. As her passion for music grew, she has later shared stages with such greats as Uganda’s own Susan Kerunen in a…
Day 9 (AM): Ketebul Studio – Influences session for Cheri Story
…getting milked dry by Cheri Then we brought back Johnnie to do some lead electric guitar and called it a wrap for the day. This afternoon will be a new band and recording session. We’ll brief you later this afternoon. Jimmy (Ketebul)…
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…
Akello sings ‘Influences’ songs for Singing Wells News
…erformer 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 new journey of performing her own music compositions that she chooses to call “Hybrid” a simple cross between urban and loc…
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…
Hannah interviews Evelyn Ojok – Acet, Northern Uganda News
…the performance. In Gulu when I want to meet with the other women I play drums and they all come, usually in the evening. I want to push the music to it’s highest level so that we can get some sponsorship from NGOs or from the Ugandan Government. I have opened up a bank account for us to make this easier and my prayer is that we will be able to become professional performers and be able to buy proper costumes, more instruments and better equipmen…
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…
Northern Uganda: Day 6 – Soroti to Obuell-Lira to Soroti Story
…e. Pretty quickly, everyone in the Teso region carried a thumb piano or a drum and all claimed they were members of Macedonia. The Macedonia band and the song Uganda, Land of Freedom was known by everyone and served dozens of times to spare someone a fast execution as a collaborator. We then arrived at Joshua’s village. It was the most beautiful we’ve seen with four-five small thatched huts, each painted with patterns. There was a large clay oven…
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…
Northern Uganda: Day 5 – from Pakwach to Soroti (a road trip) Story
…er it 6 or 7 ladies selling pyramids of potatoes, green oranges, etc… The fruit and vegetables complement the plethora of cows, sheep, goats and chickens found along the road, somehow connected and protected by a distant owner. And then there are the bikes, generally falling into two categories. There’s the rideable load, where the bike is carrying simple things like doors, coffins, gates or water bottles and the bike rider is still able to pedal….
Northern Uganda: Day 4 – night recording at Fort Murchison Story
…the case and it shouldn’t be surprising. Most good musicians play off the band and if you ask them to play the song just with their part find it all a bit strange. So too for African village groups. They don’t go into studios and ‘lay down their track’ in some great over-dubbing session. They perform with a troupe, and they feed off of and help drive the dancing and the other instruments. The song Apako Oranga had an amazing Ndara riff and we want…
ATTA is following Singing Wells News
…ront page of their website under the ‘ATTA Likes’ banner! Thank you ATTA – we will keep you posted on our travels in East Africa with news, photos and wonderful music! Victoria…