Buganda Music Ensemble Group
…ever, are controlled and possessed by the king. He was punished by cutting off his fingers. His friends eventually found out due to all the rumors circulating the palace. They tried to ask him about it but he kept denying that anything had happened. Albert leads the song with the bow harp or Ennanga, a new instrument for us. Albert is only one of 3 master players. It was played in solo performances and the Ennanga player was the advisor to the kin…
Support Singing Wells Page
…d an album Recorded for Singing Wells via our Bandcamp page. Your purchase of one of our albums, or an individual song, will directly benefit traditional music groups in East Africa, with royalty payments going straight to the performers wherever possible. The Best of Singing Wells 2011 The Music of the Batwa of Kisoro The Music of the Kalenjin of Kenya Donate any amount We don’t mind whether you want to donate £1 or £100 (or even more). Any amoun…
Day One: January 18, 2019. Assemble in Tanzania Story
…ifferently. Influences: We often conduct a field visit with an influences artists, a leading commercial artist that we hope to inspire by the music of their region. When the ‘spirit moves’ we will do a song with our influences artist and the group. Our ‘output’ for a field visit is a set of videos that we post on our website, Facebook and Youtube that reflects the performances. When we initially publish our field reports, these videos aren’t avail…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…kers worn on the legs. The most notable instrument was a type of horn made out of a gourd. Performers (all men): Shaaban Mwasi Sekimbuke (leader, plays he Bati -high hat), Haji Mtumweni (drums), Mohamed Faki (chapuo), Hussein Fereji (horn), Juma Nasoro (dancer with shakers on legs = Masewe), Ramadhan Makoye (dancer with Masewe) Dancers and singers (all women): Chazi Daudi Hassan, Zainabu Abdalla Mussa, Sharifa Salum Hassan. Songs: Msewe – Style…
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…iano and music. He became interested in Jazz and created an African fusion of Taarab and Jazz about two years ago. The name of his band changed from Mansule to Tarajazz. He combined African rhythms such as Msewe and Kyaso (both from Zanzibar) with Singeli (a new tribal rhythm). Taarab came from early 1800’s as Egyptian music. In Zanzibar the Mother of Taarab, Siti Binti Saad, made Taarab more popular in the 1920’s to 1950’s. We spoke to Hassan Mah…
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…
South Teso Jazz Group
…d, together with bottle tops and a metal plate. Finally, the ensemble also a metal ring called edongotanditwol– shakers made out of gourds and seeds….
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…er: @Ashishomusic SOFIA GRANT X WATMON CULTURAL GROUP Our first submission for the #GlobalInfluencesProject comes from the brilliant Sofia Grant. This collaboration between the rhythmic plucking of the Watmon Cultural Group and the haunting vocals of Sofia have created something magical and we can’t wait to hear from more amazing musicians and creatives who are looking to create their own pieces. Instagram: @sofia.grant._ Check back here soon for…
Recording Resources Page
…phers and ethnomusicologists. However, it has taken us time to really work out the best processes for working effectively out in the field. With that in mind, we have created some resources for other groups to use for working in the field. Please feel free to use the below resources for your field trips in whatever region you are based, and please do reach out to us. We love to meet others who are passionate about music in their own region! Villag…
Global Influences Project: Loop Library Page
…the main focus of their music is (you guessed it) the Adungu. You can find out more about the band here. You can watch the full visual performance of this song on our Youtube channel by clicking here. Download the loop Aloka Ohangla Drum Solo – 146BPM Aloka Ohangla are based in East Alego, Kenya. What you need to know as you listen is the drummer was drumming without a chair, doing deep squats and jumping about a foot off the ground with each ‘kic…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…end of the string down against the stick. Pretty amazing bass sounds came out of this. The two dancers danced with almost a belly dancing movement where they moved their hips and buttocks completely independently of the rest of their bodies. They wore a sash around their hips to accentuate the movements. Songs: Ewe Mwana Mimi Nakwambia – this means Hey baby, listen to me. A love song telling the woman he loves, Mwana, to be patient Yalait – Lo…
Mohamed Uthman Kidumbak Group Group
…end of the string down against the stick. Pretty amazing bass sounds came out of this. The two dancers danced with almost a belly dancing movement where they moved their hips and buttocks completely independently of the rest of their bodies. They wore a sash around their hips to accentuate the movements. Songs: Ewe Mwana Mimi Nakwambia – this means Hey baby, listen to me. A love song telling the woman he loves, Mwana, to be patient Yalait – Love…
FAQ’s Page
…who collaborate with us on field and studio recordings. Click here to find out about these musicians. We also rely on local liaison personnel who have direct contact with the communities we visit and an expert knowledge of local music styles. During the field recording visits we also benefit from the voluntary help of the Abubilla Music Foundation trustees and UK Project Managers. How long have you been working on the project? We made our first fi…
Our Sponsors Page
…sion in Entebbe on our last day in Uganda – click here. Click here to find out more about Mara and the projects supported by The Mara Foundation in East Africa. Bain Capital Type of Sponsorship: Sponsor of Music Groups, Uganda 2013 Thank you to Bain Capital for their generous donation to Singing Wells in 2013 which was used to provide support to 2 music groups during our visit to Central Uganda in November 2013. For more information about Bain C…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…ing off the main revenue-generating activities of many artists. However, a number of urban-based performers were able to migrate their shows and concerts onto online platforms, reaching their audiences at their homes via live streaming. In doing so, they created new income-generating platforms, as some of these online acts allow audiences to support the musicians via M-pesa and Pay-Pal contributions. Another possibility was to sell tickets with th…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…ss); EFURIMBI – a whistle; OLWIKA – antelope horn; MANYANGA – shakers made out of a metal tin filled with seeds. We recorded ten (10) songs, presented in groups according to the occasion they are normally played in, notably general entertainment, burial and wedding songs. We also recorded Magic Moments with Ekhunjwe instrumentalists only. DAY 2 – Sunday 18th February 2018 Our second day in the field was quite busy, as we recorded three groups in t…