Hiari Ya Moyo Group
…ndfathers and is located in Dodoma. They are from the Wanyamwezi Community and performed in the Ngoma Style. Their instruments include: Ngoma (drums) and Njuga ( bells). We recorded four performances: Muhala Wane: a love song Kauwowa Naye: a song urging the youth to be brave in facing the challenges in everyday life Mwanana: a song in praise of one’s friend. Lyuwa Laloka: it is sunset and time to conclude whatever business and return home to your…
Ndagwa Msanga Group
…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 is alive and well!…
Nile Beat Artists Group
…bert Muwenda, Babayaza Sumaya and Kalungi Justine. 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 st…
Bigilia Group Group
…and the women were sitting on the Mbuzi, which is used to cut the coconut for Wali (Coconut Rice). The dancers all had lovely necklaces (Usalu), hats (Kigarama) shakers (Mbugu), whistles (Firimbi), and ‘brooms’ (Usinga). The group leader was Asha Saidi Kazidi. The style was Unyago. Here is the group: They played 12 songs, including Magic Moments and Influences Sessions: Zakulola: You’ve come to see us play Wake Kwa Ume: Female to male Nataka kuse…
Omong’oluk Traditional Dancers Group
…about the instruments and costumes used by the group; these included: Atenus: The bass drum Igelu: Shakers Akwara: Sticks Isiman: Jingles worn around the ankles Etwoo: A gourd that you blow into for a ‘bass’ beat. The dancers wore “Emukule”, skins of cows and more rarely, Cheetahs. One of the dancers wore a “Amugwar”, a head piece made up of antelope horns….
Pius Wafula Group
…ndkti player/singer – Pius Wafula. We recorded a session with him and his band called “Webuye International” at the beautiful Nabuyole Falls in Chetambe location of Webuye sub-county (Bungoma County). Pius, singer and player of shirili fiddle, used 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 traditiona…
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….
Peter Akwabi Group
…; “Lusafina”; “Uchukuzi wa Sasa”; “Vipusa Shuleni”; “Maisha ya Mjini” and “Kifo cha Mukabi”. Akwabi plays with his trio – nephew Muhammed Akwabi on the Fanta bottle and on the eng’omadrum, and his brother Sylvanus Anyangu on the second guitar and other bottle (ichupa)….
Singing Wells Sampler 2011 – 2013 Album
This is a special sampler album put together, which contains some of the best recordings and tracks we have made as part of the project. It includes field recordings, influences recordings made in the field, influences recordings made in the Ketebul studio in Nairobi and a special collaborative effort between Abubilla Music and some of the musicians recorded by The Singing Wells project.
Twone Mbee Group
…se 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 key to success. ‘Mwaki’: This is a political phrase song praising a prospective parliamentarian. It discourages other prospective candidates from attempting the position because it is already taken by the one they are praising. ‘Nzembanie na ivinda’: (…
Shitakha & Balozi Band Group
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Mumias United Group
…Mumias United was founded in 1997 by Francesca Odour. They have 38 members and 22 showed up for our performance. They perform in the Imbira style. They are part of the Wanga tribe, which is a sub-group of the Lua, known for their Kings (Nabongo). We performed next to the mausoleum where four kings were buried, dating back to 1700s….
Chibite Group
…Boma, the line-up was Ndahani Bwani, the older brother, his sister Ndekwa and two daughters Grace and Leah. They played 4 songs: Dunia Nigahira Samamba: Streamlined. Malugaro: And a Magic Moment with Grace playing the Zeze (large stringed instrument). Throughout, they played stringed instruments, thumb pianos and drums – all four could play each instrument and sing. The instruments were: Zeze: The stringed instrument made fr…
Kirundo Group
…performs in a fusion of traditional African rhythms from mainland Tanzania and Pemba, and contemporary African sounds. The three young men are all students at the DMCA performing with a well known drummer and teacher of music. This band has been together for 2 years. Songs: Mwaludeje – Tradition after the harvest. New composition. Mjomba – Uncle, celebrating the good hunt. New composition Uye – Come Back Please, used at a wake after someone is bur…
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…, taken from our field recordings across East Africa over the last decade, and are looking to commission several artists, producers, dancers, videographers and songwriters to show how this “traditional” music is still relevant into today’s modern world. Below you will find links to the musical loops we have selected that are available to download for the project, If you are interested in joining the Global Influences Project, you can download the…
Day One: January 18, 2019. Assemble in Tanzania Story
…gle with spellings of songs and instruments as these can differ by village and by band. We fully recognize that there are multiple spellings out there, but we defer to the band leader in almost all cases. During a recording session, we will also capture alternative takes; these are called: ‘Freestyle’: We work hard to give our groups the space and freedom to sing and dance as they would during a village performance, but there are constraints. Typi…