May 2011 – Jimmy reports back on the pilot phase News
…e March sessions and preparing multi-media access through online distribution and CD’s/DVD’s. In addition, we are now raising funds for the November Sessions. Funds will be used for three primary things: a) preparation of mobile video kits to complement our audio recording, b) funding the recording sessions themselves, which involves 2 sound enginers, 2 video engineers, 1 local logistics expert, 2 trainees to learn mobile recording and 2 artists t…
Lake Turkana Cultural Festival 2011 News
…ed a perfect fit with the objectives of the Singing Wells project and the trustees were happy to approve a grant to cover the costs of travelling to the Festival with the new mobile recording equipment. The main purpose for the Festival, which is hosted by the German Embassy in Nairobi and the National Museums of Kenya, is to ‘overcome tribalism in the region and to promote peace and reconciliation among the local communities around Lake Turkana b…
Reflections on the pilot phase by Pato News
…t cultures and sounds. We hope this will inspire them come up with modern fusion to bridge the gap between old traditional music and modern African fusion. Four hours after we left Nairobi and hunger had already crept in so we decided to stop for a quick lunch in Voi. We arrived in Mombasa a few minutes past 7pm and headed straight to Malindi. Our V.I.P car was equipped with a G.P.S courtesy of Maddo so we had no trouble in terms of directions. We…
Reflections on the pilot phase by Willie Bembe News
…use it’s not packaged in a way that would interest them. DAY 4 Have caught on on how to set up the equipment and under the Andy’s guidance do the recording. The sound quality coming from the recording is amazing considering we are recording outdoors Recording Winyo by the sea shore is a particular favorite. Alas…Jimmy is suddenly the guy with the funniest jokes and everyone is laughing their hearts out. I still think Andy belongs to a cult where t…
Discovering music roots with SWP News
…apture gadgetry (listed elsewhere). On our first day of recording, Bado – son and back up vocalist for his father’s Mwanzele Nyerere wa Konde Music Club – was mesmerized by the equipment’s clear sound picking in an outdoor environment. The equipment is now tried and tested and we’re geared up to plunge into the subsequent phases of the larger project. SW Coast Map Maddo’s Take on the Trip Steve was at his very best, Willy was as industrious as his…
£25K donation from Abubilla Music Foundation News
…om the The Abubilla Music Foundation of £25,000 has been allocated by the trustees to the Singing Wells project. This has meant that all expenditure on the development of the Ketebul Music website has been covered and we are now able to go ahead with the purchase of the all mobile recording equipment which will be needed for the village recording sessions. Our resident technical expert and sound engineer, Andy Patterson, has sourced everything we…
Ketebul Music website launched News
…d to report on the launch of the new Ketebul Music website. When Abubilla Music and Ketebul Music first came together we decided the most pressing need was for a dynamic website which would show the work of the Ketebul artists in their full glory and we think we’ve succeeded in our goal. Take a good look around the site to see how Ketebul Music is working to combine the traditional sounds of East African tribal music with the best of contemporary…
SWP Launch Day News
…at a reception for Kenya National Day hosted by the High Commissioner in London, Mr Ephraim Ngare. It was a wonderful occasion, with a motivating speech from Mr Ngare about Kenya’s progress and the special relationship it shares with the UK. It made me feel very positive about the Singing Wells project and the connection we are making between London and Nairobi through music. So a big thank you to the High Commission, particularly to Wanja Michuk…