Aynu Traditional Group Group
…lief in mythology: with God’s creation of Meme and the universe. The first two human beings Gboro-Gboro (male) and Meme (female) are said to have been superhuman. Some traditions only speak of Meme, whose womb God filled with the living things in the world. Customs: They are traditionally a farming people and are the predominant keepers of guinea fowl in Uganda (locally known as ‘ope’), but their cultural symbol is of a leopard. They also believe…
Richard Sewanyana Group
…r there was a panic and a desire that I go to the palace to replace my grandfather. So I played in the place of my grandfather for about two months, but then there was suddenly chaos.”…
Matende Culture Isukuti Youth Group Group
…t” 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 you die your heart will be able to rest. Songs for weddings (Shiselelo) Nukhufwale Maua: Giving flowers to the bride after the wedding Wulila Harvsi: The proc…
The Music of the Mijikenda Album
…Supaki Kalazo and Sengenya recorded in Junda, Mombasa. We then headed to the South Coast and recorded in Vuga, Kwale County. The ZigiDigi Cultural Troupe and Muungano Kayamba providing the music. The album also includes two ‘influences’ recordings – one including Ketebul artist Winyo with Nyerere Wa Konde and his son Mr Bado. The other is Winyo performing with members of the Zigi Digi Cultural Troupe, during the session in Sila. …
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…bi in May that year and recorded a few songs that are yet to be officially released. Going through a narrow winding road we arrived at the Small Matters Park, our first location for the day. The Ketebul Music technical crew is well experienced in field recording routine preparations, having been part of the Singing Wells project for many years. Hence, it did not take long for our sound team to determine the best site for the stage within the well-…
Super Phoenix Band Group
…or anything once elected. It is about the frustration of so many people with their elected officials who do nothing for them. There were two versions: here’s the second: We Don’t Know….
Recording, archiving and sharing the traditional music of East Africa Page
…s is to record, archive and share the traditional music of East Africa for two important reasons – to sustain and celebrate the extraordinary cultural music heritage of the region and to help make this legacy relevant and fresh to today’s audiences. As a group of sound and video engineers, producers and musicians, we set out on this mission not to become ‘fossil collectors’ and store the recordings in inaccessible archives. We work with musicians…
Busolwe Post Test Club Group
…m unhappy you know they are having problems. Magic Moment featuring the Tube Fiddle and Flutes. The flute (Omulelel) player is George Wandela. The two Tube Fiddle players are Wilber Mutanse and Geoffrey Wamagaga. …
Page
…nd, as we approach our 10 year anniversary, we want to truly combine these two missions and celebrate how music in the modern age can transcend global barriers. Alongside our partners, London record label, Abubilla Music, and Kenyan music studios, Ketebul Music, we are launching our Global Influences Project. We have curated a series of musical loops, taken from our field recordings across East Africa over the last decade, and are looking to commi…
Nyunyusa Dance Troupe Group
Nyunyusa Dancing Troupe includes two of Mzee Morris’s grandsons, Abdala Nyunyusa Morris on vocals and Rajab Alli Nyunyusa Morris on drums. Rajab is the only of Mzee Morris’s offspring to make his living as a drummer. Here he is with Morris Drums: Here is the group: They played seven songs: Jembe ni Mali: a song to encourage farming Kilongo Salale: a call to unity Rasilmali Ya Mnyonge: The worth of a poor man. Bendera Ya Taifa: The flag of the nat…
Mohamed Uthman Kidumbak Group Group
…g 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 song to Yalait, a…
South Teso Jazz Group
…izes and functions, notably: ADEUDEU BASS – 6-strings instrument played by two people sitting on it; struck as a percussive by player in the back; RHYTHM ADEUDEU – 10-string adeudeu; ADEUDEU SEKETA – 9-string adeudeu; SOLO ADEUDEU – 5-string adeudeu, smallest in size. This string sound is complemented with a home-crafted drum-set they refer to as akicheketin their vernacular language. This is a set of metal tin drums of different sizes joint on a…
Support Singing Wells Page
…ance will be recorded by our field team. Funds will be used to provide for two field-recording engineers from Ketebul Music, a non profit organisation in Nairobi and our project partners. Your donation will also provide for gratuity payments to the individual music groups, which they can use to help them continue practicing and performing in the future. The songs and videos we record from your sponsored day will be archived and published, giving t…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…onga This group was well choreographed with five dancers, three women and two men with shakers on their legs. They changed their costumes for each song. The rest of the group played instruments and sang. The horn sounded like a snake charming horn and was quite loud. It added a Indian/ Arab feel to the music. Kizazi Kipya Kidumbaki – We drove to this group in Mahonda and the DCMA annex. Thabit Omar Ali is the assistant to the head teacher and is…
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…is band. He is a teacher at the DCMA. He teaches the Oud and plays the saxophone. All the students at the DCMA study traditional music such as Taarab as well as Western music. Members of the group: Suleiman Makame (keyboard, director), Hassan Mahenge (Saxaphone, assistant director), Mahsin Basalama (contra base), Christopher Weston (Cajon and high hat), Regina Juma (singer). There was supposed to be a violin player but unfortunately he couldn’t ma…
Shem Tube Group
…Shem Tube is a pioneer of the ‘Luhya Omutibo’ sound and had a big hit with his band Abana ba Nasery (Nursery Boys, including Justo Osala on guitar and Enos Okola on percussion; they played throughout the ’60’s and ’70’s.) Their style was linked to three part harmonies, two finger picked guitars and a ‘fanta bottle percussionist.’ In the 80’s, Shem formed a new band, Les Bunyore , before reforming Abana ba Nasery in the ’90’s….