Adagha Nalya Drama Group Group
…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 and they don’t perform well and come ba…
Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
…orm in Kisawandui. They played five songs:Bashraf of Alia: Instrumental Usione Chaelea: Means that you don’t really see the subtlety in something. Mbiyo Za Sakafuni: This is about too much haste and costs of being too fast (literally it translates as ‘speed on the floor.’) Hebu Uone Aibu: Means ‘witness the shame.’ Wanawaki Afrika: A Celebration of African Women Unyago: the group is named after the drums they play and the style. This style is all…
Day Three: 9 March 2022 (Kisumu) Story
…Lined up were three musical acts and the first to arrive was Peter Akwabi, one of the few surviving omutibo pioneers from the era of George Mukabi. Akwabi’s rubato musical style was quite a challenge for both Fiston Lusambo and Ben Mukabwa. It took almost an hour for the two to figure out Akwabi’s unorthodox, expressive free style for most of his songs before the actual recording began at 2:00pm. After a few false starts we finished the recordings…
Albums Introduction Page
…ells 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 experience…
FAQ’s Page
…ording gratuity on the day of 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 fro…
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…
Support Singing Wells Page
…the Singing Wells project Sponsor a Music Group£250 Your Gift to Us Your money will be used to support the Singing Wells project to record the songs of one traditional music group, help us tell their stories and keep their music traditions alive. Your donation to the project will be spent in East Africa, funding the recording session in the field and will go towards a gratuity payment for the music group, which they can use to help them continue…
Day Zero: February 15, 2020 – Assemble in Zanzibar Story
…e and slavery was outlawed. This happened in fits and starts. The death of one sultan and succession of another, the British did not approve of, led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War, the shortest war ever fought. It was over in 7 minutes because of the strength of the British navy. The islands gained independence from England in 1963. A month later the Zanzibar Revolution occurred. Several thousand Arabs and Indians were killed. Thousands more were exp…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…for Diana”) who had helped them develop their look and movements. They had one lead singer and two men on drums. One planning a small drum and the other playing three large drums on the floor while he stood and leaned over. Overall they were very impressive and unique. Truly beautiful. 3. Zam Zam Group – From the hotel we moved on to the Dhow Countries Musical Academy, which is located in the old custom house. Here, we recorded the Zam Zam grou…
Day Four: 10 March 2022 (Rongo) Story
…rs and formally ended Travel to Stream! DAY 4: Thursday, 10 March 2022 Act One: Ontitri Bikundo Genre : Obukano Location: Treat House Resort – Rongo Profile: Ontiri Bikundo Ronald Ontiri Onchuru Bikundo is a versatile obukano player who was born in 1974 in Kisii. Ontiri started playing music in 1985 and recorded his first song ‘Bikundo Obaba mbono’ in 1994 and from then on he has been the main star of the obukano music genre from the region. Ontir…
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…
Day One: January 18, 2019. Assemble in Tanzania Story
…and we typically have two general mics for the group and 5-6 specific microphones for singers and musicians, b) we have three video cameras operating – one wide shot for full performance, one close up to capture details of instruments and one roving camera to provide a second angle on the performance and c) we interview all group leaders to understand group musical styles and background, instruments and songs. In almost every village, we struggle…
Kithara Group
…were airplanes and motorbikes going by occasionally. We managed to record one song but had to stop after that due to noise. We hope to have this group come to the hotel on our last recording day. We felt bad that they only were able to perform one song but they took it graciously. Performers: Rajab Suleiman (qanun and director), Mohammed Hassan (accordian), Fum Faki (bongo and tabla), Tatu Khamis Haji (singer) Songs: Chungu – means Pot, composed…
The Kalenjin of Kenya Album
…t of The Masirtaret – a performance that was sadly cut short by rainfall – one of the perils of recording outdoors. The Sila Dancers began the day in Sila, followed by the Lomut Traditional Dancers and the Lomuge Group. The day recording the Pokot tribes was rounded off firstly with Kalomoywa, (the group are represented on the album with the track ‘Kamitol’) and secondly the Takar group – their Korutan and Chepo Mining making it through past techn…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…tyle: We then recorded the band in freestyle. https://youtu.be/XoaHli19b2U One observation from Day One: These groups have the energy and youth of many of the groups we recorded in Uganda around Lake Victoria, which makes a lot of sense as these groups are from areas very close to Uganda. What you feel when you record these groups is that the music here remains very central to youth culture – these are young, athletic performances full of energy…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…to their Boda Bodas (motorbike taxis) and disappeared into the dark night, one by one. We drove back to Josephine Garden at Ilesi where we spent our second night. Profile: Super Phoenix Band Julius Khamoyi Shivaji was born on June 5th 1966 in Shisalachi, Ikholomani sub-location in Kakamega County. He started his musical journey in 1990 as a member of the choir at his local church. He took up the stage name Itenya in 1999 when he joined the Phoenix…