Ekhunjwe Musical Group Group
…basamiawas 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 making for exhibition and sale. Their Chairman Mr. Bwire also chairs the County Culture Committee and says he is “biased towards ethnomusicology” because “that’s where the beauty of…
The Sega Sega Band Group
…Music of the Luo Rang’ala, Nyanza province, Western Kenya Lead Vocalist: Osumba Rateng…
Makunga Group
…nd like calabash, which was used in last song). The group started their performance with the most extraordinary set of customs – human shakers! We recorded seven performances: Intro, Freestyle recording of their entrance. Masasi: the celebration song after circumcision completed Nindo: Song on social issues Muhene: Song during girl ceremony where she reaches puberty and now must be hidden from village for 40 days (song acts out how girl learns to…
Buganda Music Ensemble Group
…t for us. Albert is only one of 3 master players. It was played in solo performances and the Ennanga player was the advisor to the king, as people would bring him messages for the king that he would turn to song. “Mulirwana”: it means neighbour and the song is about people who don’t trust their neighbours and they believe that anyone that doesn’t trust their neighbours is a witch. “Ssewaswa”: This is about twins Wasswa and Kato, and praising twins…
Hannah Calascione Staff Profile
…ogy at Cambridge University in 2013. She is joining the Singing Wells team for the field visit to Northern Uganda 2012 and has researched the area in great detail, writing reports on the tribal groups and their music and traditional instruments. Hannah will be armed with a microphone as she interviews the musicians and documents their oral histories, providing the all important context for the songs and dances we will be recording in the field. …
Kirundo Group
…porary 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 someone is buried. New composition. Uringe – Be Proud. Old Traditional song Kyaso – old traditional Zanzibaria…
Otieno Aloka Group
Otieno Aloka is a musician best known in Kenya for his hit song ‘Kanungo Eteko’. In our session with the Ohangla group he plays the orutu, the second major instrument of Luo music. The orutu consists of a hollow wooden box that has monitor lizard skin stretched over one side. The string used to be made from fibers of the sisal plants but is now made from a variety of repurposed materials, including bicycle brake cables. When played with a bow, or…
Day Five: Ilesi, Khayega to Kisumu Story
…is for weddings. The songs include: Hoya: This is encouraging the groom to forward and be welcome. Mbabo: This is about everyone coming together for the wedding. Khuchende Pole: This song is telling everyone to walk slowly to and from the wedding so all the people can gather and honour the bride and groom. The Shishebo process – this is about rites of passage, and specifically male circumcision. The songs include: Bikubanda: This is a song that mo…
Day 4 – Tuesday 4th July 2017 Story
…the arms (ogwero, milinginda, apindi, mago), while confirmed siyala is the best type for the head. His method deferred from the previously interviewed nyatiti makers essentially in two points: He never sells an uncomplete nyatiti (includes painting ad strings); All of the instrument’s components are fixed and left to dry together (resonators, skin, arms and head). Finally, he makes a clear difference between clients who are traditional and/or loca…
Singing Wells Sampler 2011 – 2013 Album
This is a special sampler album put together, which contains some of the best recordings and tracks we have made as part of the project. It includes field recordings, influences recordings made in the field, influences recordings made in the Ketebul studio in Nairobi and a special collaborative effort between Abubilla Music and some of the musicians recorded by The Singing Wells project.
Singing Wells Stories Page
…mmunity. We were pleased to see a young group of musicians passionately performing their music for us. To visit the group page for Ker Kal Kwaro, click here: Ker Kal Kwaro. To listen to the album of music from our Northern Uganda trip, click here: The Music of the tribes of Northern Uganda Otacho Young Stars We recorded the Otacho Young Stars in Rongo, Nyanza, West Kenya as part of our field visit to record the music of the Luo. It had been a bad…
Nyota Ze Meremeta Group
…tel for over twenty years and teaches at the Dhow Countries Music Academy. For 50 years he’s taught music in Zanzibar and promotes other musicians. Other members of this group include: Ramadhan Muhidan (accordion), Ali Ibrahim Musa (Kanan or Qanun), Tatu Hamisi Amur (accordion), Asha Khemisi Amur (violin) and Malick Anas (fiddle). Malick is 75 and has played with the Professor since 1961. All songs were very Arab influenced by all the lyrics are S…
Day Six: January 24, 2019 From Mwanza to Dodomo to Nzali to Nairobi Story
…Mchoya): From Nzali, the group is from the Wagogo Tupu community and was formed in 1966 by the grandfathers of the current performers. Their instruments include: Nindo (jingles), Njuga (Shakers), Mbega (animal Skins), Muheme (drums), Kabati (kayamba-shakers), Manyanga ( Maracas), Madodolo (cow bell), and Pangwa/Kipangwa (a double headed lyre). We recorded four performances, where each of the songs is named after the musical style: Nindo: A med…
Matende Culture Isukuti Youth Group Group
…essions’ for different ceremonies, so we asked them to play a couple songs for each type of ceremony. They performed the following: Songs around a “Bull Fight” or Mayo Dance Woyo: The song you sing as you move to the venue to watch two bulls fight Ndulu Mumbo: The song you sing to celebrate the winning bull Songs around a funeral (Lwikhulu): Tsimbasi Tsia Mama: A song to console the mother who has lost a loved one. Mwoyo Kulimbila Mwikulu: After y…
Eridat Makwiri Group
…ould go complaining to the husband. The message in the song is to not wait for everything to be done for you. “Paulo Wawanyera”: This is someone’s name, meaning Paul, son of Wawanyera. Paul was a chief. He visited certain places and found they had made him party with lots of food and drink. He actually visited his brother in law who was jealous of him as a chief. So he decided to poison him. The singer is trying to warn Paul that his death is comi…
Watmon Cultural Group Group
…Eventually he had people coming to him asking to be a part of it, and from that point the group became an institution. In the fallout of the war against Idi Amin’s regime, many people were looking for an escape, and the troupe presented just such an opportunity. The group performed for President George Bush during a state visit to Uganda. They were also recorded in 2012 for the BBC’s World Routes album, presented by ethnomusicologist Lucy Duran. T…