FAQ’s Page
…ip of the original songs remains with the performers who receive a performance gratuity from Singing Wells. They give consent for us to publish the material on the Singing Wells website and other digital media which is free to access. Any money received from the sale or commercial use of Singing Wells recorded material will be donated back to the project via The Abubilla Music Foundation and wherever possible royalties will be paid to the original…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…nstrument, huge Nyatiti). The group had three musicians in ‘red’ and two dancers in ‘white.’ The dancers were performing a ‘head nodding’ dance which was hypnotic and was extremely unique. The athleticism of these dances were very similar to what we’ve seen in Uganda and very special. We recorded five songs with them: Tunaupinga Ukeketaji: A song about stopping abuse of young women and FMG Vijana Wafanye Kazi: A song about respecting parents and r…
Day Six: January 24, 2019 From Mwanza to Dodomo to Nzali to Nairobi Story
…ent used (the wooden trough) Group 2: Nyati Muchoya (also spelt Mchoya): From Nzali, the group is from the Wagogo Tupu community and was formed in 1966 by the grandfathers of the current performers. Their instruments include: Nindo (jingles), Njuga (Shakers), Mbega (animal Skins), Muheme (drums), Kabati (kayamba-shakers), Manyanga ( Maracas), Madodolo (cow bell), and Pangwa/Kipangwa (a double headed lyre). We recorded four performances, where…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…k music is somewhat different, involving more instruments and fusing influences from various regions of Luhya land. They refer to it as amarenga music and fuse the following instruments: ACOUSTIC GUITARS – a set of two guitars; EFANDA – an empty Fanta bottle scraped on with a metal stick; EKENGELE – metal ring struck with metal stick; ISUKUTI – they used a set of four sukutidrums of different sizes. It was interesting to note the differences betwe…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…sed team and all went according to plan until a group of mourners appeared from nowhere with a coffin of a dead relative that had just recently arrived from Nairobi. Although the burial was planned for the following day, the emotional villagers were already wailing loudly and playing mournful dirges. This dramatic twist of events threw us off guard and we were forced to stop our program temporarily. As required by local custom, we dutifully went t…
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…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 wom…
Elgon Ngoma Troupe Group
…h 100 are performers. They are roughly divided between the two bands. For income, they do performances and also work four acres of land to feed themselves. Many of the members also do arts and crafts or a skilled trade – Julius’s dream is to open up a hair and beauty studio so they can support the bride with her beauty and music. He hopes the troupe will give them opportunities to travel away from their homes, but also to preserve the traditions o…
Camera Group
…Camera, who has been performing since 1999, is from Nzega and from the Sukuma community, playing in the Kadete style. Camera plays the Kadete (like the Zeze from earlier and Orutu from Kenya). He is an extremely cool cat, who we actually discovered walking the streets with his instrument during the RECCE….
Twone Mbee Group
…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’: (Chasing After Time). This song talks about the President’s call to…
Albums Introduction Page
…the album in chronological order of the recording date – so you can experience the journey that we took through the music of the area we were recording in. Each album also contains a number of extra tracks that weren’t strictly part of the archiving recordings we were making. These recordings are of ‘Influences’ sessions – where a popular musical artist has joined us on our trip to collaborate with the groups we record. In the event that we have…
Here for Research? Page
…ll find all of the research we have collated within our 10 years of experience recording the music of East Africa. Field Reports Our daily reports written from the field during our yearly trips. Head here for detailed information about the performances we record, the musicians we meet and the instruments that they are playing. Alongside this, expect interviews, historical information and first hand accounts of the way East African music has develo…
Baseki Group
…le virtues Balimi: A song about farming where the band brought up children from the village and taught them about hoeing the soil to the song. Later we saw several videos of how this song is used in the fields to motivate farmers, who hoe to the beat. Throughout Tanzania, we saw school kids walking to/from school with their hoes, where they often tend to small plots at the school. Serengeti: We are near the national park and this is a song in cele…
Ekhunjwe Musical Group Group
…Oduor, this is a very organized group of twenty eight (28) members coming from the different administrative areas of Samia district. Ekhunjwe ya Abasamiawas formed in April 2008 with common focus on using music as a tool for community development. The group promotes traditional African values and acts in both education and local economy. Members also engage in traditional crafts like basket weaving and jewellery making for exhibition and sale. Th…
Makunga Group
…r 40 days (song acts out how girl learns to reject the advances of men, represented by two men playing shakers) Muziki: A song to gain support of the people for the music and dance Muziki: Freestyle Muhongwa: another song from the circumcision ceremony, named after the instrument used (the wooden trough)…
Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
…om Rahaleo and normally they have 28 members but brought 9 for the performance. The members included: Topsy Surrie (Oud, a beautiful version with inlay), Asha Khamisi Amur (violin and background vocals), Tatu Hamisi Amur (accordion and backing vocals), Ummy Suleiman Alli (violin and background vocals), Mtuswma Makame Seheli (percussion), Zainabu Wazari (tablah drum), Zainabu Mdiliko (accordion) and Fatima Yuma (bongos). The group has been together…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…n), Juma Nasoro (dancer with shakers on legs = Masewe), Ramadhan Makoye (dancer with Masewe) Dancers and singers (all women): Chazi Daudi Hassan, Zainabu Abdalla Mussa, Sharifa Salum Hassan. Songs: Msewe – Style of music with shakers on the legs Kyaso – medleys Kitua tua Lizombe – magic moment Gonga 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….