Day Zero: February 15, 2020 – Assemble in Zanzibar Story
…Arabs and Indians were killed. Thousands more were expelled leading to the Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba. Soon the islands joined the Mainland Tanganyika and were subsumed to form Tanzania. Today, the population of the islands is over 98% Muslim. Second, one of our main partners for our trip was the Dhow Countries Music Academy. The “Dhow” is a traditional sailing vessel. We saw many on the waters around Zanzibar. The “Dhow Countries” are…
Conclusion: Challenges and Recomendations Story
…ers to questions, give more space to each individual, as well as allow the central instrument to maintain its centrality, a fact crucial for the story. In editing, we can then draw lines of comparison between instrument 2 and 3 as well. In this exercise, I believe, it is not necessary to involve more than 3 additional instruments in comparison to the central one. Finally, yet perhaps mostly importantly, I believe the Masters series should put more…
What We Do Page
…i, Alur, Langi, Iteso) Music of Central & East Uganda Music of Eastern and Central Kenya During each field visit we are invariably struck by a particularly talented or exciting musician or music group. When this happens we arrange for them to travel to Ketebul Music in Nairobi to record their music in the studio. Many of these studio sessions have contributed to the Singing Wells ‘Influences’ series (see below). A permanent archive of East African…
Our Sponsors Page
…a Group for sponsoring one of the field recording days during our visit to Central Uganda in November 2013. The donation was dedicated to our recording day in Mbale. Click here to read our field report from that day. We were also delighted to welcome Brad Gibbs from Mara to our recording session in Entebbe on our last day in Uganda – click here. Click here to find out more about Mara and the projects supported by The Mara Foundation in East Africa…
Kirundo Group
Kirundo performs in a fusion of traditional African rhythms from mainland Tanzania and Pemba, and contemporary African sounds. The three young men are all students at the DMCA performing with a well known drummer and teacher of music. This band has been together for 2 years. Songs: Mwaludeje – Tradition after the harvest. New composition. Mjomba – Uncle, celebrating the good hunt. New composition Uye – Come Back Please, used at a wake after someo…
3. Background of the Naizungwe drums Story
…more political structures [ie. the eleven chiefdoms] were demonized by the central government and all meetings at that level stopped. When the top structures died, the clan structures also weakened because clan leaders did not answer to anybody higher. Eventually clans and their values weakened. As a result, clan regalia such as naizungwe became extinct because clan meetings ceased to take place in the original manner. Other factors that eroded tr…
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…is submission from Beats by Maggy, a producer based in Nakuru, Kenya. “The African sounds were so inspiring, I created the beats using fruity loop Fl studio. The African loop was so energetic so I had to feature some more energy to make it more lively.” We love this energy too – a perfect tune to get the party going! You can follow more Beats by Maggy by following Amina Muta on Facebook. ATIENO OLUOCH X ADUNGU CULTURAL TROUPE This newest submissio…
Fanuel Amimo Group
…Amunga as producer, in a studio owned by Andre Crawford and Betty Tete. His second record was produced by Sammy Osere for Lamore record label, while his third song led to his fall out with Polygram records in 1974. After that, he started producing himself and established his own label entitled African Beat. We recorded five of Amimo’s well known songs: “Safari ya Magadi”; “Ndeshera Omwana”; “Harusi ya Leah”; “Omwana Yenyanga Nyina’ and “Rosa Nokh…
Kiplagat Edwin Kwambai aka Fifty Cows Staff Profile
…enjin, which was the focus area for the Singing Wells project at the time. Fifty Cows went on to be the main contact person and “fixer” for the project. In 2014, the Singing Wells again called on Fifty Cows for the first Repatriation Project by the International Library of African Music, which was supported by the Singing Wells. This repatriation project involved retracing and locating surviving musicians who had been recorded and their music arch…
Upendo Jazz Group
…is from the Murangi Village in the Mara Region and their community is Wajita and their style is Vidogori. They were founded in 1999. Their instruments included: Ngoma za Budogori (drums, with a kick) and Njiga (shakers from gourds). It is worth taking a minute on the drums. They were typical African drums, but set up Western Style on a steel rack and they leaned one large bass drum against the rack. The drummer then built a separate wooden kick p…
Mission Page
…Kenya, a non-profit organisation committed to identifying, preserving and promoting the diverse music traditions of East Africa. The project is supported by our UK charity, The Abubilla Music Foundation. Our goal is to record, archive and share the traditional music of East Africa for two important reasons – to sustain and celebrate the extraordinary cultural music heritage of the region and to help make this legacy relevant and fresh to today’s…
Ketebul Music Group
…ablished in early 2007 with the ambitious vision to carry out research and promote the diverse fusion of traditional sounds of Kenya and East Africa through the documentation and archiving of the work of musicians who have shaped the various genres of music from the region over the past six decades. In broader terms, intensive research carried out by Ketebul Music involves the musicians themselves, their families, industry players such as producer…
Guy Morley Staff Profile
…d worked with a host of artists in the UK, Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya. …
Introduction: Project overview and objectives Story
…ing and documenting master players and instrument makers of various Kenyan/African instruments as they: a) Make their respective instruments;b) Tune the said instruments;c) Give master classes to other musicians of those particular instruments;d) Give short brief direction/instructions on how they approach basic training for beginners interested in learning their particular instruments. Thus, the focal areas for research and filming are instrum…
Ekhunjwe Musical Group Group
…the group’s secretary Wilhemina Oduor, this is a very organized group of twenty eight (28) members coming from the different administrative areas of Samia district. Ekhunjwe ya Abasamiawas formed in April 2008 with common focus on using music as a tool for community development. The group promotes traditional African values and acts in both education and local economy. Members also engage in traditional crafts like basket weaving and jewellery ma…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…oup include: Mohamed Othman Faki – leader, on violin, Kheri Mizaka Aliy on African Bass, Makame Ali Juma on drum, Buruhami Makame Haji on 2nd drum, Mgeni Seleiman Makame on sticks, Said Ame Othman on shakers, Aikazija Abdala Ame -dancer, Mirianaharus Juma Hamis – dancer. All sang but Mohamed Othman Faki was lead singer. Sanduku , the bass, was a homemade bass made of a large box with a small hole cut out in the front. It had a large stick which t…