Zam Zam Group
…oup ranging from age 7 up to 40, ten all together today. They sing Islamic and secular songs for weddings and celebrations. It 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 Mwalim, Saidi Simai Mkanga…
Eridat Makwiri Group
…e who had prepared the food tried to keep the food away from the lazy wife and the lazy wife would 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…
Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…nity. Performed at introduction ceremonies – a traditional party where a girl introduces the man to her parents. “Nsomesa Nsomesa”: When a child goes to school and they don’t perform well and come back with a bad report the parents will be angry and sad….
Matia Kakumirizi Group
…e Parish in 1966. He is now 70 years old, lives in Kampala and sings in Luganda and Kirwahdi, C&C Busega, C&C Kibuye. He still plays the guitar he has had since 1972. He was recorded in 1971 in the Polygram studios in Nairobi. His peers include Dan Mugula, Christopher Ssebaduko, Vincent Muwunge, Sulayiman Mayanja. Dan influenced him hugely. Song meanings “Abapangisa”: featuring Passy Nassonko from the Kiki Boys Cultural Troupe. The song talks abou…
Bungoma Roots Band Group
…School, in the Michimeru Village. Wilbert and his school friends formed a band and competed with other school bands. They were quite good and had all their school fees paid for. During breaks from playing at the school they took up ‘Marketing’ and showed up at any events that were being held. The band members held day jobs, mostly in construction, and then would gig in the evening, often in clubs filled with drunkards. However, after years of hard…
Liwambwe Group
…sand, called the Siganga. They also had a pair of drums called the Likuti and a long drum called the Msondo, and a very long thin drum called a Neya. In the dance they had a character in a mask called a Lipiko, who wore a vest called a Mjuga. They played five songs: Malala Kujunga: Essentially means ‘be calm and quite, we are about to perform and need you to be quiet’ Nchakacha: A dance with the Lipiko (masked character) Tumpete Mwana: ‘Soothing…
Makunga Group
…illage for 40 days (song acts out how girl learns to reject the advances of men, represented by two men playing shakers) Muziki: A song to gain support of the people for the music and dance Muziki: Freestyle Muhongwa: another song from the circumcision ceremony, named after the instrument used (the wooden trough)…
Kochia Traditional Dancers Group
…re traditional clay colours that dancers would adorn themselves with) are augmented by attention-grabbing ostrich feather headdresses (the ostrich, a symbol of beauty and courage, represents the courage they will need to entertain) and monkey fur. They are accompanied by drumming, and the Tung’, the Luo horn. You can contact the Kagan Kochia group for bookings on +254 700 600881 Sources: www.hivisasa.com www.allafrica.com Homa Bay, Kenya Leader: W…
Martin Fredrick Muyeshi Staff Profile
…ry, specifically the episode “Death in Ten Minutes” as a cameraman. In his free time he was freelancing as a music photojournalist/cameraman to gain more experience. He also joined Royal Media Services’ Citizen TV where he worked on the TV programmes Tabasamu, Nairobi Law andMashtakaas a Director of Photography and a Lighting technician. He later joined Ketebul Studio, where he went on to work on several studio projects, among them the studio’…
Original Chuka Drummers Group
… Original Chukka Drummers, led by Eustace Mjuki Bundi. They are 30 males who all play drums except for their banner waver. They were formed in 1930 and have spawned so many imitations that they had to add the word ‘original’ to their name. They are Ameru, of Tharakanithi County. The group plays on all occasions, during harvests, births, weddings, marriages. The play the Mwinjira (Drums) and Biringi (Whistle)….
Obasie Palnyang Group
…The group was founded in 1958 by Obasie’s grandfather, Okomo. Obasie plays several instruments, including the Accordian, the Adeudeu and the single string instrument, the Eggereger (similar to the Orutu, but a deeper body). The drums are called ‘Atenus’. In addition the percussionist, Obasie is accompanied by a Etwo Aporutu player (gourd and pipe, or ‘Arupepe’). We recorded 8 songs, featuring each of the instruments….
Omong’oluk Traditional Dancers Group
…s….
Albums Introduction Page
…ng Wells project is to record and share the music we record in East Africa and one of the ways in which we can share this music is through our albums series. For each project we undertake, we curate an album of the resulting recordings. In most cases, this will include at least one recording from each group recorded. Where it works artistically, we’ll arrange the tracks on the album in chronological order of the recording date – so you can experie…
Camera Group
…Camera, who has been performing since 1999, is from Nzega and from the Sukuma community, playing in the Kadete style. Camera plays the Kadete (like the Zeze from earlier and Orutu from Kenya). He is an extremely cool cat, who we actually discovered walking the streets with his instrument during the RECCE….
Kangema Mwomboko Dancers Group
…i Village, Muguru Sub-location, Kangema District. The group has 45 members and was started in 2000, but the original Mwomboko style was started in 1943. This is a ‘pairing’ dance style, inspired by colonial masters but adapted locally. Mwomboko, Peter Mwangi is the lead singer and plays the accordion. George Kinyua plays the Karing’aring’a (the metal ring). The group played 5 songs plus one magic moment: Mwomboko Ndongomothi Kariara Rumba Jeki Mag…
Ndaiga Muchiri Group
…Ndaiga Muchiri: He was a founding member of Kangema Mwomboko Dancers. Ndaiga started singing in 1943 and loves to entertain. He’s Kikuyu and plays Mwomboko wa 40 style. Mwomboko: a traditional song where he plays the Karing’aring’a (the ring)…