Day Three: 9 March 2022 (Kisumu) Story
…uod Nyasuba on lead vocals and keyboards, Boniface Onyango Juma on marimba and piano, and Kevochi on percussions. For the live recording they were accompanied by Fiston and Ben on bass and congas respectively. The group derives its name from the surrounding Asego hills which are close to the homes of most of the band members. Led by Mwalimu Odede, the Asego Ensemble was formed in December 2021 with the aim of incorporating modern musical instrumen…
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…ental – traditional old song of the community. Beni Kachoka – Beni means band and Kachoka means tired. This is a joking way of referring to a brass band that is smaller and more worn out than one would expect. Their music is based on the Brass Band style of the West. The Africans used to make fun of the Big Band sound from Europe by exaggerating the sound and having people with learning disabilities play. Over the years they have come to enjoy it…
Elgon Ngoma Troupe Group
…a brass band, called the Elgon Hero Brass Band. When you combine the two bands, the traditional and the new brass sound, Julius says, they blew audiences’ minds. As the bands have grown there are roughly 160 total members of his group, of which 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 sk…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…ians, we at Ketebul Music were prompted to reconstitute our infrastructure and operations by obtaining software and equipment necessary to set up mobile live streaming studio services and travel to provide live concert streaming opportunities for musicians based in remote areas. Our mission to travel and stream in Western Kenya was made possible by funds from Hivos, with the additional support from the Abubilla Foundation. Travel to Stream After o…
Day Five: February 20, 2020 (DCMA) Story
…lodic, haunting way. Tarajazz and Kirundo Fusion – we had seen these two bands earlier in the week and they came together at the DCMA. They consist of a combination of young students in their 20’s and established senior teachers of music. It was wonderful seeing them work together and improvise two songs. They produced a wonderful, dynamic fusion of Taarab, Traditional African rhythms and contemporary Western and African sounds. Performers: Tara…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…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. Performers: Lukoa Nenes (sticks), Joshua Muyumovela ( shakers), Nyemo Mopana (guitar, kalimba (hand held thumb piano), lead singer), Heri Kombo (drums) Songs: Mwaludeje – Tradition…
Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
…e Dhow Countries Music Academy. For 50 years he’s taught music in Zanzibar and promotes other musicians. Other members of this group include: Ramadhan Muhidan (accordion), Ali Ibrahim Musa (Kanan or Qanun), Tatu Hamisi Amur (accordion), Asha Khemisi Amur (violin) and Malick Anas (fiddle). Malick is 75 and has played with the Professor since 1961. All songs were very Arab influenced by all the lyrics are Swahili. They played five songs:Bashraf Ilya…
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…
The Revival of the Entongooli Page
…ss. When the wood has appropriate time to dry, it is prepared for chopping and shaping, and the next process of preserving the wood through the use of animal dung. More on that later… Simple but Effective Tools Having the right tools for the job doesn’t necessarily mean the most high-tech or complicated. As we show in this video here, the tools needed to continue shaping the base of the Entongooli are very simple, but remain incredibly effective….
Day Two: February 17, 2020 (Stonetown) Story
…, ten all together today. They sing Islamic and secular songs for weddings and celebrations. Today was mainly an acapello performance with one flute made out of a bamboo stick. The singers included: Ibrahim Ali Hassan (lead singer, flute ), Issa Ali Hassan (lead singer), Mlenge Ali Hassan, Othman Mlenge Ali, Afann Mlenge Ali, Iddi Abdallah Mohd, Abdillah Salum Juma (lead singer), Fesal Sleiman Mwalim, Saidi Simai Mkanga, Vuai Juma Vuai. Ibrihim Al…
Super Phoenix Band Group
…about a girl that left her husband because he was too poor. She went away and earned lots of money and returned to him. He realized that she did love him but needed them to have more money so he was grateful on her return. Imbalekha: This is about very bad men who chase all the married young women from their village. They make life very difficult for the women and gossip all the time. Achitsa: About a father who was very proud of his daughter and…
Page
…e 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 project brief here or get in touch with us with any questions you may have. SUB…
The Kalenjin of Kenya Album
…onies of the performances have been captured well, with The Elimu Cultural Promoters and the Kewamoi Women Dancers both featured. The latter – a nice addition to the lineup, as the field day coincided with World Women’s Day. Eddie Grey was part of the team for the recordings, and he joined a number of groups to join them for Influences recordings. Two of these have been included on the album – his guitar playing accompanying The Elimu Cultural Pro…
Buganda Music Ensemble Group
…as people would bring him messages for the king that he would turn to song. “Mulirwana”: it means neighbour and the song is about people who don’t trust their neighbours and they believe that anyone that doesn’t trust their neighbours is a witch. “Ssewaswa”: This is about twins Wasswa and Kato, and praising twins. “Anamwinganga”: This was a piece composed by Albert’s father in 1945 and recorded in the 1960’s. It talks about who will attack the kin…
Ayub Ogada Group
…he 1980s. He remembers he had gone for 6 lessons (at a 100 shillings) only and then continued practicing and experimenting by himself. It was equally interesting to hear his theory of the name nyatiti, which he translated from the Luo word nyar as queen and titi, making it “the queen of the clan”. The most interesting points Ayub had made were on the difference between playing at home, in an informal or traditional setting and playing in a foreign…
The Music of the Mijikenda Album
…ngwara – both recorded in the village of Sila. The next day saw 4 groups – and all are included here. Chechemeko Raha and 4 the Mzinga, both captured in Kibarani village, further south from Sila, and then further south again, later in the day – Supaki Kalazo and Sengenya recorded in Junda, Mombasa. We then headed to the South Coast and recorded in Vuga, Kwale County. The ZigiDigi Cultural Troupe and Muungano Kayamba providing the music. The album…