Culture Musical Club Taarab Orchestra Group
…ordion, 2 drums and 1 tramboline. They produced a wonderful rich sound. Performers: Taimour Rukuni Taha (secretary general, accordian), Maulid Haji Mkadam (musical director) We didn’t get the rest of the names as there were so many. Singers in order of songs below: Amina Addalla, Sabina Hassan, Mtumwa Mbarauk, Mgeni Khamis, Fatima Abdi Sdam. Songs: Bashraf Waridi – Rose, instrumental intro Ume Washuka Kama Yalivyo Nipata Mapenzi Matamu Sikupendi K…
Aynu Traditional Group Group
…the Lugbara tribe and play the adungu, the ari (log drums) and a tin sheet for percussion. The Lugbara Tribe Population: Around 900,000 History: They were known in the 19th century as ‘The Naked People’, due to the lacking importance of clothes in their culture. In the early days, the Lugbara were a mainly chiefdom-based community. They did not have kingdoms and kings presiding over them as like other ethnic groups in Uganda. They mainly had chief…
Richard Sewanyana Group
…t he tried to play and failed to learn. But he pretended to play at all performances, acting like he was blowing the flute while his band-mates played. My father was in the palace pretending to play the flute and desperate to replace my grandfather but time was running out. Over time, the other players realised he couldn’t play. So they asked him to lead the next song, to be the starter. But he failed. So they then asked him to play any song of an…
Day Five: January 22, 2019 Mwanza Continued Story
…Group: From Kagera Bukoba and part of the Wahaya Community, this group was formed in 2000 and performs in the Akasimbo style. Their instruments are: Kangote (Drums), Akafotho (hand whistling), Enganja: Clapper – two wooden ‘bricks’ struck together, and they wear Ebisheshe (grasses). We recorded four performances: Wachumba Walya: A song about someone who is too mean-spirited to support his community even though he has lots of money, it is about a m…
Kizazi Kipya Kidumbak Group
…h 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), Sheha Makame (shaker= cherewa) Dancers and chorus (all female): Khad…
Bakuseka Majja Matta Group Group
…thumb piano; Kirunda Awali on the flute and Nathan Matta Nyende, the lead vocalist and also playing the thumb piano. Song Meanings “Abalimperekera Baliba Muganda”: When I die, those that will escort me to be buried, will be many. “Enumba Y’eisubi Esana Buko”: If a woman refuses you, you go with a match and burn down her grass thatched house. “Atyamiisa Asekerera Adagha”: A person who is doing well will always laugh at one who is struggling. “Otabo…
Day Four: January 21 2019 Mwanza Story
…p 1: Mchele Mchele Sanaa Group: This group, from the Sukuma community, was formed in 2010 and performs with a number of styles: Bukomia Lume, Buchheye, Wigashe. Their instruments are: Ng’oma (Drums), Pembe (animal horns, large impala), Firimbi (flute), and Njuga (shakers). We recorded five performances: Ntale Atabihyala: ‘The boss, who is always wrong, wants to be always right. Just accept it’ Ba Tanzania (Malima): Praising country, encouraging…
Bukaala Twesitule Troupe Group
…s grown in Uganda. “Abag’ageno”: Talks about HIV and 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…
Bigilia Group Group
…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 played 12 songs, including Magic Moments and Influences Sessions: Zakulola: You’ve come to see us play Wake Kwa Ume: Female to male Nataka kuse…
Liwambwe Group
…rums, including small drums with wooden spikes on bottom to be embedded in 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’ Nchak…
Albums Introduction Page
…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 experience the journey that we took through the music of the area we were recording in. …
Bungoma Roots Band Group
…s, mostly in construction, and then would gig in the evening, often in clubs filled with drunkards. However, after years of hard work and managing to record multiple records, they needed to bring in other musicians to form a much bigger band. They then produced their third CD in 2013, Namusia, again with Soundcheck in Kisumu. They started performing all over Kenya. They are now very well established with houses of their own….
Fanuel Amimo Group
…ngle in 1964 with David Amunga as producer, in a studio owned by Andre Crawford and Betty Tete. His second record was produced by Sammy Osere for Lamore record label, while his third song led to his fall out with Polygram records in 1974. After that, he started producing himself and established his own label entitled African Beat. We recorded five of Amimo’s well known songs: “Safari ya Magadi”; “Ndeshera Omwana”; “Harusi ya Leah”; “Omwana Yenyang…
Pius Wafula Group
…ers who play the following instruments: LITUNGU – a 7-string traditional lyre; ISIRILI – a one-string fiddle; LUENGELE– a percussive idiophone, they use a wooden stool struck with wooden sticks; ENG’OMA – a generic term for drums, they use a plastic water container also struck with wooden sticks; CHISASI – shakers made out of gourds. We recorded five of Pius’s original compositions and were amazed with his rough yet mellow voice….
Kika Boys Cultural Troupe Group
…been performing together since 2007. Group Leader: Dumba Charles, other performers include: Nassonko Passy (lead vocals),Waswa Cosmas, Ssembusi Huzairuh, Kalema Frank, Katongole Hakim, Nalwadda Shadia Style of Music: Nganda from Buganda Song meanings Mbidde (A medley): The Mbidde is the banana plant that makes the local brew and the song talks through each step to make the brew that locals consume: Butuuse: The time has come for cutting down the b…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…him and ate his legs. A cautionary tale about taking short cuts. Jackie Mosani Wethu: A traditional song of praise and thanks, which was sung for our host, Jackie. Thare Mushi Wakono Okwebora Kodhethre: a song about having kids and investing in your children. Ekethende kiranganya ni mburungo: a song about what happens when the river overflows. All the things from the river and along the edges of the river spreads through the village and around al…