The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…p to perform their Acholi dance music. Day 2 found us in Paibona, with our first introduction to Likembe music provided by the Rubanga Kingom Awach Boys. The youthful energy of Ker Kel Kwaro followed, with our third group being led by an old lady and master of the Adungu (the Acholi version of the instrument – a three stringed lyre played using the chin). Waroco Terawo were our fourth group. A long drive out west brought us to Fort Murchison and P…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…of Talent, 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), Fes…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…forming with a well known drummer and teacher of music. This band has been together for 2 years. Performers: Lukoa Nenes (sticks), Joshua Muyumovela ( shakers), Nyemo Mopana (guitar, kalimba (hand held thumb piano), lead singer), Heri Kombo (drums) 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 compos…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…freestyle recording’ – what we mean here is we allow our three camera operators to ‘roam’ and to ‘release the band’ to dance. We are trying to overcome the somewhat artificial nature of ‘archiving’ where the band is constrained into a single shot. Magic Moment: We loved the percussion and wanted to capture this as magic moment. https://youtu.be/u7xcXahAlzI Group 2: Upendo Jazz: The group is from the Murangi Village in the Mara Region and their c…
Bukaala Twesitule Troupe Group
…d the factors influencing the spread of HIV and how the community can come together to deal with it. Very tragic song telling the story of deaths with man sobbing at one point. “Akabira” (Worship Song): Means a small forest where spirits tend to run, deep in the trees and high in the mountains. But they are not always well cared for and they then tend to cause havoc with the rest of family members. “Omwenge” (a local brew): This is about how the l…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…oups: Kithara – 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…
Baseki Group
…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 school kids walking to/from school with their hoes, where they often tend to small…
Gacharaigu Gitiro Women Group Group
…ladies and their leg shakers (Kigamba) – we did this twice, once with and one without the ladies humming (they needed to hum to get the beat right)….
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Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…sax. Kithara – 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. When we got to their village in Mpendae we had some difficulty finding a place in the shade that was quiet. There were airplanes and motorbikes going by occasionally. We managed to record one song but had to stop after that due to noise. We hope to have this group come to the…
Jackie Akinyi Group
…n 1998, she started singing with Jambo Star Band of Mwanza Town, and while with them, she composed her song known as “Wawili Wawili” in the year 2000. After this song did very well on the Kenyan market, she decided to move to Kenya. It was during the years 2004 and 2005 that she met Tabu Osusa (a music producer), who invited her to Ketebul Studios, where she recorded her first album titled KUNDI, featuring 8 tracks….
Chibite Group
…s on the Zeze (stringed instruments made from gourds) and Ilimba (a lamellophone, or modified thumb piano). We will spend a lot of time with Chibite over the next two days and meet many different family members. For this first recording in Boma, the line-up was Ndahani Bwani, the older brother, his sister Ndekwa and two daughters Grace and Leah. They played 4 songs: Dunia Nigahira Samamba: Streamlined. Malugaro: And a Magic M…
Maisha Bora Suba Group
…Rirandi and they play the Zeze/Endongwe (a one stringed instrument similar to the Kenyan Orutu and Ugandan Rigi Rigi), Rirandi (a giant horn, similar to the Uganda Big Wala, but made with 6 gourds, not one), Ekeborogo (flute), the Ekedomwa (drums), Ama’ghorro (huge leg shakers), and Firimbi (whistle). They wore Amahunsho (grasses that are attached to the shoulders, and shake with their shoulders’ movement), Enyandusbi (beads) and the men carried O…
The Luo of Kenya Album
…ld. Ketebul Music artist Winyo collaborated during the recording sessions, and included is his work with Ogoya Nengo, Josey Kokeo (as noted above) and The Kochia Traditional Dancers. In March 2012, we invited the Otacho Young Stars to Nairobi to record in the Ketebul Music studios. The track ‘Mr Manager’ – an ode to the manager of a plantation, was first heard on the session at Dinky’s Resort Club, but the version included is that from the Nairobi…
Kizazi Kipya Kidumbak Group
…head teacher and is a teacher himself. at the DCMA. He met us at with the first group and brought us to this one. They sing and perform mainly for weddings and celebrations. Performers: (all male): Juma Fadhul Juma (leader and secretary but did not participate), Fadhili Faki (director and plays violin), Mohamed Khamisi (violin), Khamisi Vuai (bongos), Khamisi Bato (bongos), Ameri Sefu ( Sanduku – sinle string base), Ahmed Juma (sticks and table),…
Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…l Waiswa of old who used to shy away from women. It is a common folk song. “Omuntu Kyakola”: When someone is jealous about what someone else is doing; when some one works hard, others want to bring you down. “Yoyenda”: The one you love. The song invites everyone to show who they love to the rest of the community. Performed at introduction ceremonies – a traditional party where a girl introduces the man to her parents. “Nsomesa Nsomesa”: When a chi…