Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
On our first day of recording, we follow Siti Binti Saad’s footsteps to Bi Kidude and to Amina Abdalla, a performer we met on the grounds of the Ngawala Hotel (Coincidently, Ngawala is another name for Dhow), where we recorded three groups. Nyota Za Meremeta – The group’s name means ‘twinkling stars’. They play in the Taarab style and are led by Professor Mohamed Ilyas, who played at the Serena Zanzibar Hotel for over twenty years and teaches…
Singing Wells Stories Page
…part of our field visit to record the music of the Luo. It had been a bad day up to that point – we had been hit by a spell of rain. We changed location to Dinky’s Resort Club in Rongo, and the first group we recorded was the Young Stars. Their brand of traditional music songs brightened our day immensely. Their song Charles Manager tells the story of a plantation manager they thank for simply doing his job. We invited them back to Nairobi in Mar…
Day 3 – Monday 3rd July 2017 Story
The third day of our field recordings was particularly fruitful. We visited Patrice Odour Oriwo known as ‘Sewe Oriwo’ at his home in Murumba village, Sega constituency (Siaya County), who fully demonstrated the making of a nyatiti resonator. We started off by going to a nearby wood and picking a log, which was then transported back to the compound on a bicycle. Upon arrival, Sewe, an elderly man of impressive strength and skill, started working o…
Support Singing Wells Page
…gistered charity which funds the Singing Wells project Sponsor a Recording Day£3000 Your Gift to Us Your money will be used to support a complete day of recording traditional music for the Singing Wells project. Your donation will be spent in East Africa, funding the recording sessions in the field. There may be as many as six different music groups performing on one day and your donation will mean that every music group is able to perform and the…
Introduction: Project overview and objectives Story
…ld recordings this report is based on were thus conducted in Lake Region of Kenya, notably in Kisumu and Siaya Counties. The details of these recordings will be described in a day to day report and followed by an evaluation of their success and comments on the general framework of the project series….
Days 6 to 8 – Thursday 6th July 2017 to Saturday 8th July 2017 Story
…umé of those days’ activities is included in the form of short notes: Day 7: Recording of the making of obokano, an 8 string instrument from the Kisii ethnic community demonstrated by Dominic Ogari, a music instructor at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. Day 8: Saturday 8th July 2017: Recording of an in‐depth interview with John Otieno ‘Rapasa’, our fixer who had previously travelled to Lake Region with us. In this interview he explained his persona…
The Kalenjin of Kenya Album
…The final field day of the trip was spent recording the Tugen. The vocal harmonies of the performances have been captured well, with The Elimu Cultural Promoters and the Kewamoi Women Dancers both featured. The latter – a nice addition to the lineup, as the field day coincided with World Women’s Day. Eddie Grey was part of the team for the recordings, and he joined a number of groups to join them for Influences recordings. Two of these have been i…
Days 10 to 12 – Monday 10th July to Wednesday 12th July 2017 Story
…John Otieno ‘Rapasa’, Gabriel Oduor, Walter Koga and Meshack Okoth Okumu. Day 11 – Tuesday July 11th 2017 (as per team’s report): Studio recording of the two master players ‐ William Omondi Ogutu & Odondi Diel Matara and of Meshack Okoth Okumu; done at Ketebul Studio, GoDown Arts Centre (Nairobi). Day 12 – Wednesday July 12th 2017 (as per team’s report): Recording of a nyatiti class for children, held by Rapasa at a private residence in Karen (Na…
The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…ent on further to Widianga village and the Alur Kingdom Troupe. Later that day we were treated to Cieng Dwong back at Fort Murchison – darkness descending as we recorded. A travel day to Soroti was followed by another Likembe band – the Macedonia band, before the long drive back to Kampala. One night in Kampala was followed by a recording in Naguru, recording the Adungu Cultural Troupe and the Watmon Cultural Group, before heading back to the Ente…
Day Four: Ikolomani to Amalemba Story
Wednesday, 21 February 2018 We drove from our hotel, in Kakamega, to Shiriese Ikolomani to record the Super Phoenix Band. The band was founded originally by Jacob Luseno, who mentored the current band leader Julius Intenya. The musical style is Mutibu. They played roughly 8-10 songs, including several goes with our influences artist. These songs included: Shapeless: A song about a women who lost her shape, lost her curves. Alusiola: A song about…
Day Five: Ilesi, Khayega to Kisumu Story
Thursday, February 22, 2018 We travelled to Ilesi, Khakyega to record three groups. The first was Imachina. They call themselves after the village where they live. As with many groups over the last two days, most of their songs are for processions, like weddings, funerals, bullfights or rites of passage. So they tend to play 3-4 songs in a row to match the procession. We asked them to pick their favourite processions and then play a couple songs…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
We drove back towards Stone Town and stopped at the Maruhubi Palace ruins. This palace was built by the third Sultan of Zanzibar from 1980-1982 for his secondary wives. It is now in ruins but you can still see the main buildings with baths inside, a massive overhead aqueduct that supplied water to the palace and circular ponds with lily pads. It’s set in a beautiful location along the coast surrounded by mango trees. We met the first group there…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…mers: Tarajazz: Suleiman Makame (keyboard, director), Hassan Mahenge (Saxophone, assistant director), Mahsin Basalama (contra base), Christopher Weston (Cajon and high hat), Regina Juma (singer). There was supposed to be a violin player but unfortunately he couldn’t make it. Kirundo: Lukoa Nenes (sticks), Joshua Muyumovela ( shakers), Nyemo Mopana (guitar, kalimba (hand held thumb piano), lead singer), Heri Kombo (drums) Songs: Mwaludeja – Ki…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…in Rahaleo. All male group ranging from age 7 up to 40, ten all together today. They sing Islamic and secular songs for weddings and celebrations. Today was mainly an acapello performance with one flute made out of a bamboo stick. The singers included: Ibrahim Ali Hassan (lead singer, flute ), Issa Ali Hassan (lead singer), Mlenge Ali Hassan, Othman Mlenge Ali, Afann Mlenge Ali, Iddi Abdallah Mohd, Abdillah Salum Juma (lead singer), Fesal Sleiman…
Bigilia Group Group
…we drove a short distance to the village of Nia Njema, where we stayed all day recording Bigilia. They were cooking fish under the main tree and the women were sitting on the Mbuzi, which is used to cut the coconut for Wali (Coconut Rice). The dancers all had lovely necklaces (Usalu), hats (Kigarama) shakers (Mbugu), whistles (Firimbi), and ‘brooms’ (Usinga). The group leader was Asha Saidi Kazidi. The style was Unyago. Here is the group: They pla…
We assemble in Kisumu Story
…and Hunter have flown in. Jimmy and Hunter flew from London to Nairobi the day before. We are very happy to be joined by ethnomusicologist, Kahithe, and we welcome her to the Singing Wells family. A bit of background: Kahithe is a Ethnomusicologist and dance researcher but is also a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. She is a skilled researcher with extensive experience in ethnographic research and fieldwork management. She has 8 years of ex…