Liwambwe Group
The Group Leader is: Atanas Teleni. It is a fairly new group, having played off and on for three years. They had unique drums, 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…
Ndagwa Msanga Group
Ndagwa Msanga are a group of young girls are from Msanga and the Wagogo community. The group was formed in 1994 to encourage the young of the Wagogo tribe to embrace and appreciate their culture. Their style of music makes up all the musical styles of the Wagogo community. Their instruments are all about percussion: Ngoma (Drums) and Kayamba (Shakers). These young performers are amazing and if they are a sign, then the future of Tanzanian music i…
Day two: From Sirisia to Mabuyole Falls Story
…with Oche Kombe. We then had a Magic Moment with just percussion from the group. We then travelled to Lugulu to record Plus Wafula. We were in a stone quarry to record them next to Mabuyole Falls. Beautiful but hot. We were recording Webuye International Band. They played in the Tinkikti style. The group was formed in early 2000, when founder Webuye Juakali was a backup singer for separate band. In 2009 he became the main singer of the band. It h…
Day Five: Ilesi, Khayega to Kisumu Story
…7 and is from the village of Likhovero. There are normally 8 people in the group. All songs are traditional but arranged by Eric and his partner Moses Alusa. Their style is Milbo. They use drums and shiriri, but also a Shikhorli which we haven’t seen before. This is a shaker/bell, where two ball bearings of different sizes/tones are welded into metal pouches and then he plays. Moses is considered the best Shikhorli maker in the area. Here’s the ba…
Kaniini Kaseo Group
Kaniini Kaseo is an all women group led by Mumbi Wambua, in Kyolo style. The group is from the Kamba ethnic community (ukambani wa kitui, from the village of Kiongwe. They have 16 members and were formed in 1980. They performed 3 songs, all of which use the Ileve (tin shaker, played by Mumbi Wambua) and Vilingi (whistle): Mutambo wa iiu: This means the trunk of a banana tree; it says that the trunk can’t be climbed by boys. Mutongoi: This is a…
Twone Mbee Group
Twone Mbee is led by Christine Kisove. The group practices Itheke dance styles (Mwen-yenyo, Mutundo). They are from the village of Kiogwe, Nzambani District. The group was formed in 1994 and has 20 members. The songs ‘Asyai’: during this song they use the Ileve (tin thaker) and Vilingi (whistle). David Kithome uses shaker and Christine Kisove and Eliza Musyoka use the whistles. The song encourages parents to invest in education because that is…
Groups featured on our Field Recordings Album – Coming Soon! Gallery
…Our Field Recordings Album V1 will feature groups including… 4 the Mzinga, Chebonet, Elimu Cultural Promoters, Kangema Urban Group, Kewamoi, Mariene Traditional Dancers, Muturi wa Wandindi, Nyatiti Group, Nyerere wa Konde, Otacho Young Stars, Otieno Aloka, Sengenya, Teriet and the Zigi Digi Cultural Troupe……
Recording, archiving and sharing the traditional music of East Africa Page
…ted in the field, head this way to see more of our detailed field reports, group biographies and in-depth information regarding the various different instruments and styles of music we have encountered on our field trips. Here for the Music? Click here! Want to just enjoy some beautiful East African music and revel in some jaw-dropping performances? Head this way to see more videos of the inspiring performances we have captured on our field trips,…
Kika Boys Cultural Troupe Group
…oup comes from Masaka Nyendo and have 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: Th…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…thumb piano), lead singer), Heri Kombo (drums) Songs: Mwaludeja – Kirundo group started with this song they had composed. Tarajazz joined in. Nyumbani – Tarajazz started and Kirundo joined in. They improvised together. It was wonderful to see the combination of traditional instruments such as the Tanzanian drums, Kaliba, shakers and sticks along side more Western instruments such as the piano, saxophone, cajon and high hat. Culture Musical Clu…
Kochia Traditional Dancers Group
…e, they have built a reputation for themselves as one of the most exciting groups to perform traditional Luo music, with their vibrant regalia and dance moves to match. Their brightly coloured outfits (replacing the more traditional clay colours that dancers would adorn themselves with) are augmented by attention-grabbing ostrich feather headdresses (the ostrich, a symbol of beauty and courage, represents the courage they will need to entertain) a…
Nyerere wa Konde Music Club Group
…Music of the Mijikenda The Nyerere Wa Konde music club is located in Gede, Malindi District, Kenya. It is a family group led by legendary mwanzele singer Nyerere Wa Konde. The group also includes Nyerere’s son, contemporary musician Mr Bado. Group Leader: Nyerere Wa Konde; performers: Nyerere Junior, Mr Bado, Mbebaji, Mablue, Muguwa, Amina Kombe, Hawe Josi …
Nyunyusa Dance Troupe Group
…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 nation The S…
Makunga Group
…into Tanzania. The group was formed in 2018, but was built on a much older group. They perform in the Wuyina style. Their instruments/costumes include the: Ndulele (Horn), the Nindo (Shakers), the Mbega: (Animal Skins), the Muheme (Drums), the Kabati (Shakers), the Kalimba (Thumb Piano), the Zeze (Orutu), the Izeze (5 string large instrument), and the Muhongwa (Wooden water troughs, played on ground like calabash, which was used in last song). The…
Nile Beat Artists Group
…stine. They are based in Jinja and perform traditional Ugandan dances. The group takes their name from the River Nile, which starts at Jinja on the edge of Lake Victoria. A previous member of the band was Seby Ntege, who left Uganda in the early 2000s and moved to the UK, keen to evolve his sound. He plays the Kora, and much of his writing combines West African instruments with an East African writing style. Song Meanings “Ikobo Kobo”: It is a typ…
Pius Wafula Group
…s 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 made out of gourds. We r…