Day Zero: February 15, 2020 – Assemble in Zanzibar Story
…t singers have followed, most notably Bi Kidude, who we discuss more below when we meet Amina Abdalla who sang with Bi Kidude and sang with us. Following Sidi Binti Saad’s footsteps through Zanzibar, the taarab we will hear involves African drums, a Qanun (a stringed instrument played on the lap), an Oud (derived from an Egyptian lute), a violin, a flute and a Arabic style (but Swahili) lead female vocal. We also heard the Sanduku, essentially…
Super Phoenix Band Group
…Mukangala: This was a song made famous by Jacob Luseno and Julius Intenya when they first played together. Specifically, it refers to a rich man who askes a young man to watch after his house while he travels constantly for business. Soon the young man starts to pretend the house is his and also propositions the man’s wife to be with him. More generally, it is about many Kenyans that are asked to watch cars, or trucks or possessions and begin to…
Ketebul Music Group
…emorable archiving is achieved through intensive academic research reports released along with a market-friendly package from each phase of research. The package comprises of a shorter, but succinct, popular version of the academic report and is contained in an attractively designed booklet. To reinforce it is an audio CD featuring re-releases of previous recordings along with a video documentary carrying intensive interviews, analyses, stage perf…
Pius Wafula Group
…sed to play with a famous local group called “Webuye Jua Kali” up to 2009, when he founded his own group. Today the group counts 5 members 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…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…t Jennifer (Sengula) was allegedly the cause of the death of George Mukabi when the musician was hacked to death when he followed her to her village in Butsotso in Kakamega County where she had sought refuge after a domestic row. Having lost his father at an early age, Johnstone taught himself to play the guitar and by 1978 he had mastered the ‘finger picking’ style technique which his late father helped to develop. Through the years, he has becom…
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…Instagram @luddy_kay MANSA CHUSA X HIARI YA MOYO You can’t help but dance when the beat drops in our next submission by musician and producer, Mansa Chusa. When telling us about how he came up with this song, he said: “The “Hiari Ya Moyo” loop gave me deep house/alternative vibes on first listen. I decided to use it as my main rhythm to complement the electronic drum and bass arrangement. The soulful keys augment the rhythm to give it a larger th…
Day Three: 9 March 2022 (Kisumu) Story
…ga village in Kisa, Kakamega County. He started his musical career in 1963 when he cut his first disc ‘Kifo Cha Mukabi’, a song he composed while still in primary school as a tribute to his mentor, the legendary king of omutibo, George Mukabi. He went on to study music at Kenyatta College in 1969 and later taught at Alliance High School, just a few kilometers from Nairobi. During his illustrious musical career spanning over four decades, Akwabi co…
Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…o 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 child goes to school…
Day One: January 18, 2019. Assemble in Tanzania Story
…be seen by our wide camera and many of the musicians have an attached microphone. While generally this isn’t a problem, there are times when the group is constrained. So, we often do another take which we call ‘free style’ where we take our cameras off tripods, and our video team simply follows the group around as they dance and sing. This provides a much more free feel, although it does mean we can miss part of the performance, so we always try t…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…ians via M-pesa and Pay-Pal contributions. Another possibility was to sell tickets with the use of online access codes that admit ticket holders into the virtual performance. The result was that a number of live streaming studios where performers book sessions to perform and stream their concerts sprung up in Nairobi. Some venues also adapted to hosting online performances, directly streaming shows to mobile devices and computers of audiences wher…
FAQ’s Page
…the recording. This amount varies based on a number of factors such as the number of members in the group and the number of songs we record. In the event of any music we record making money directly (through sales, sync licensing or performance royalties) we will endeavour to channel this money back to the original performers. Can I buy the music you have recorded? A selection of our music is available to download from our site. We have one album…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…I – leg rattles; EFIRIMBI – a metallic whistle; OLWIKA – antelope horn aerophone; LIKHANGO – another aerophone made out of a reed attached to a wild goat horn; MUTINDI – flat two-skin drum played using two wooden sticks. Their props included spears (lifumo), shields (esikhumba), fly whisks (mukia) and clubs (eskong’o). They were wearing hats and tops made out of leather, leaves and feathers, and most original skirts which were in fact recycled umb…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…llage in 2017) Majirani: about neighbours, where the band remembered times when all neighbours used to support one another Maria: A story about a woman that abandoned her kids Mazingira: a song about the environment and the need to protect the environment. Examples included stopping use of plastics and keeping your waste water away from your drinking water. Magic Moment: We recorded the beats of Majirani, percussion only Magic Moment: Majirani aga…
Jackie Akinyi Group
…urth form in 1992, but was not able to pursue higher education, and that’s when she started her career as an artist. She has always loved music, especially traditional drums and songs. This love for music started way back in primary school when she used to sing in a traditional music choir and continued even after joining Secondary School. In 1998, she started singing with Jambo Star Band of Mwanza Town, and while with them, she composed her song…
Bigwala Cultural Group Group
…”: When someone asks you kindly assist them. “Mperekera Omwana Womurembe”: When you are walking with someone by your side they are the special one and you don’t look at anyone else. “Mwene Wamwenda”: When you love someone even if they are poor, lame, sick or blind, you just stay with them. Further reading UNESCO: Bigwala, gourd trumpet music and dance of the Busoga Kingdom in Uganda. Inscribed in 2012 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in…
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…rs 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 make it. Songs: Alamina Dura – The orbit of the Gods Pakistan – written by Siti Binti Saad who loved Pakistan when she visited Kasha – Kenyan Taarab love song. A man singing about…