Chibite Group
…ents, thumb pianos and drums – all four could play each instrument and sing. The instruments were: Zeze: The stringed instrument made from a gourd, which comes in three sizes Ilimba: A lamellophone or modified thumb piano. The large one is call a Chilimba. Junga: shakers for ankles. Kayamba (Shakers) Chilemba (large) and Ilemba (small) thumb piano…
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…
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.
Albums Introduction Page
…h the music of the area we were recording in. Each album also contains a number of extra tracks that weren’t strictly part of the archiving recordings we were making. These recordings are of ‘Influences’ sessions – where a popular musical artist has joined us on our trip to collaborate with the groups we record. In the event that we have invited one of the musicians back to the Ketebul Studios in Nairobi to record, we will also include these rec…
Day 1 – Saturday 1st July 2017 Story
…e tight, and some of the preliminary work had not been completed, we opted for a semi‐formal preparative interview with John Otieno ‘Rapasa’, a young nyatiti player based in Nairobi, yet from Alego area (Siaya County), who was a part of our team as a fixer and translator. The main objective of this semi‐interview was to define, at least, approximatively, the different stages of nyatiti making before arrival to the field in order to plan on filming…
Day Three: January 20th, 2019 Story
…gative thing, evoking witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. Simiyu: A song for praise for the region. Bahuni ba ng’wanza: A song referring to local women of questionable virtues Balimi: A song about farming where the band brought up children from the village and taught them about hoeing the soil to the song. Later we saw several videos of how this song is used in the fields to motivate farmers, who hoe to the beat. Throughout Tanzania, we saw sc…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…thara – This group was formed by Rajab Suleiman. They have played together for 20 years and all live in the same neighborhood. They play for weddings and festivals in a traditional Taarab style. It was good to see them again on the grounds of the Ngalawa hotel. Performers: Rajab Suleiman (qanun and director), Mohammed Hassan (accordian), Fum Faki (bongo and tabla), Tatu Khamis Haji (singer) Songs: Chungu – means Pot, composed by Said Ali 10 years…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Page
…here or get in touch with us with any questions you may have. SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE NOW CLOSED. Click here to access the Global Influences Project Loop Library Here you will find a selection of musical loops by artists such as Otacho Young Stars, Adungu Cultural Troupe, Watmon Cultural Group and more… Remember that we want you to create your own artistic responses using these loops. You could use these loops to create a house track, as…
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…
The Batwa of Kisoro Album
…ts to be able to record. The Kabahenda, Gatera and Micyingo communities performing for us under the veranda of the hotel. Also included is an influences session where Winyo collaborated with the Mperwa Dancers; a collaboration between Jesse Bukindu and Francis from the Birara Dancers, recorded at the Travellers rest, and three tracks recorded in the Ketebul studios in Nairobi. Tiny Moses, from the Micyngo Community joined us in Nairobi to record h…
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…