Day Six: January 24, 2019 From Mwanza to Dodomo to Nzali to Nairobi Story
…ance. Muziki: Msunyunsho: both songs showcasing musical styles of similar names and instruments. Group 3: Ndagwa Msanga( a group comprising of young children): This 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 ab…
Support Singing Wells Page
…Other Ways to Donate Download an album Recorded for Singing Wells via our Bandcamp page. Your purchase of one of our albums, or an individual song, will directly benefit traditional music groups in East Africa, with royalty payments going straight to the performers wherever possible. The Best of Singing Wells 2011 The Music of the Batwa of Kisoro The Music of the Kalenjin of Kenya Donate any amount We don’t mind whether you want to donate £1 or £1…
Day Two: 8 March 2022 (Ilesi) Story
…that we recorded the previous day, we had worked with the Obasie Palnyang family band in 2018 while the patriarch and founder of the group, Obasie Palnyang, was still alive. By one o’clock the group arrived and our technical team went straight to work, setting up the musicians but before we could start recording, and just as the previous evening’s session, it started to rain. Luckily we were partially indoors so we did not get too wet. After about…
Day Four: January 21 2019 Mwanza Story
…rmances: Changamoto: This is about life’s challenges Mawazo Gakwira: About deep worries Nkewane nsanja: girlfriend got pregnant and came to singer for papers Tudumishe mila: about honouring our culture Raisi Ametamka: politicians must support education https://youtu.be/Hmp4zM3kSaM Sadly, we then got rained out and went back to hotel. We scheduled additional groups for same location the next day….
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…s Itenya and his Super Phoenix Band on stage. They were a well-rehearsed 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…
Imachina Group
…r anymore. Mulele Kwiname: This is the name of a tree that is very popular and big and the song is about when a great beloved tree falls and dies. Bukundu: This is about the smell of a decaying body and the song tells people to come toward the smell and honour the man. Don’t run from this, confront it and honour his memory. The Mayo Procession – this is about bullfighting. The songs include: Lukumili: This is about the moment the horns lock betwee…
Global Influences Project: Loop Library Page
…ultural Troupe – 111BPM The Adungu Cultural troupe are based in Kampala, Uganda and the main focus of their music is (you guessed it) the Adungu. You can find out more about the band here. You can watch the full visual performance of this song on our Youtube channel by clicking here. Download the loop Aloka Ohangla Drum Solo – 146BPM Aloka Ohangla are based in East Alego, Kenya. What you need to know as you listen is the drummer was drumming witho…
Recording, archiving and sharing the traditional music of East Africa Page
…p 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, incredible photography and purchase some of the albums we have recorded with t…
Here for Research? Page
…hey are playing. Alongside this, expect interviews, historical information and first hand accounts of the way East African music has developed and grown. Instruments In depth information and photography of the different musical instruments used in East Africa. This database is constantly evolving as we discover and record more instruments. The instruments are tagged by their ethnicity, their recording location and the type (simply broken down into…
Day Two: January 19, 2019 From Tarime to Buturi to Bariadi Story
…ecording’ – what we mean here is we allow our three camera operators to ‘roam’ and to ‘release the band’ to dance. We are trying to overcome the somewhat artificial nature of ‘archiving’ where the band is constrained into a single shot. Magic Moment: We loved the percussion and wanted to capture this as magic moment. https://youtu.be/u7xcXahAlzI Group 2: Upendo Jazz: The group is from the Murangi Village in the Mara Region and their community is…
Day Five: January 22, 2019 Mwanza Continued Story
…fit. We recorded six performances: Omusingero: A song about playing the drums and dancing Nchuma: A song about traditional music that the elders love to play Mrondogomo: A wedding song Kidedeya: A send off song, a marriage song Kidedeya: Freestyle Magic Moment: Omusingero again https://youtu.be/AtwkoD3sDFo From recording we then drove eight hours to Sigiir. We woke and spend January 23rd driving onward to the New Dodoma Hotel. That evening we…
Day Four: 10 March 2022 (Rongo) Story
…ions, notes and keys. Ontiri came on stage at Treat House Resort at 5:30pm and true to the professional that he has become, gave an exemplary performance without any re-takes. By 7:00pm his session was completed and he was on his way back to Kisii County. The next group was Otacho Young Stars who began their performance at 8:00pm. Otacho Young Stars were also no strangers since we recorded them in 2011 as part of the Singing Wells project. These m…
Day Three: January 20th, 2019 Story
…e they often tend to small plots at the school. Serengeti: We are near the national park and this is a song in celebration to Tanzanian parks and wild life. Freestyle filming with song Balimi Magic Moment: Song Makule Magic moment again: Balimi https://youtu.be/4PxbBqqxuUQ Group 2: Biluli dutwa: This group was formed in 1984 and performs in the Busumabudo style. Lake the Snake Dances we recorded during our last trip, this group is part music, part…
Kizazi Kipya Kidumbak Group
…ary but did not participate), Fadhili Faki (director and plays violin), Mohamed Khamisi (violin), Khamisi Vuai (bongos), Khamisi Bato (bongos), Ameri Sefu ( Sanduku – sinle string base), Ahmed Juma (sticks and table), Sheha Makame (shaker= cherewa) Dancers and chorus (all female): Khadija Mohammedi, Subira Hassan, Biubwa Robati. Songs: Bashraf – instrumental Mapenzi Ya Zari Kidege – My bird, love song Shika – popular Kenyan song renamed. Similar t…
The Revival of the Entongooli Page
…r James Isabirye, who has also headed up the revival of the Royal Entenga Drums and the Bigwala, has travelled to visit Mr Mukadisi, who is educating a group of children on how to build and play this instrument in the hopes of continuing it’s legacy. Below you will find footage and information about the Entongooli and how the project is working to restore this instrument back to it’s former glory. Skip ahead to your preferred section… A Musical…
Mr Bado Group
…ng in Mombasa, and is now an accomplished music producer in his own right, and he runs his own studio in Watamu called Bado Records, where he records his own music as well as support and help aspiring artists from Watamu. His songs, ‘Shemeji’ and ‘Susumila’ were mega hits in the coast region, earning him a performance slot at Safaricom Live in 2010. He has performed internationally, including in the USA as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival…