FAQ’s Page
…rd? Of course – we believe that musicians should be paid for their time performing for us. We pay a recording gratuity on the day of the recording. This amount varies based on a number of factors such as the number of members in the group and the number of songs we record. In the event of any music we record making money directly (through sales, sync licensing or performance royalties) we will endeavour to channel this money back to the original p…
Day Four: 10 March 2022 (Rongo) Story
…hows at the venue. By 9:30pm we concluded the recordings with Otacho Stars and formally ended Travel to Stream! DAY 4: Thursday, 10 March 2022 Act One: Ontitri Bikundo Genre : Obukano Location: Treat House Resort – Rongo Profile: Ontiri Bikundo Ronald Ontiri Onchuru Bikundo is a versatile obukano player who was born in 1974 in Kisii. Ontiri started playing music in 1985 and recorded his first song ‘Bikundo Obaba mbono’ in 1994 and from then on he…
Day One: 7 March 2022 (Shikangania and Mukumu) Story
…or the completion of this project, we did not have time to conduct a recce and for that reason we came to realize rather late that some of the venues chosen for the recordings had no main power outlets. Fortunately and for a nominal fee, good neighbors always came to our rescue by allowing us to tap into their main power supply lines with our snake cable. When all the issues were sorted out, the rest of the recording went smoothly with Johnstone M…
Day Zero: February 15, 2020 – Assemble in Zanzibar Story
…were ‘secret songs’ and filled with metaphors that would explain about sex and love and all the wonderful and difficult parts of marriage. As this music moved from the secret rites to more public performance, you find the audience laughing at all the double meanings. To be more specific, the women are laughing and the men are scratching their heads. As we tried to identify the meanings of the lyrics of these songs, the women often laughed with…
The Revival of the Entongooli Page
…What we love most about this project is that it is providing opportunities for free education to these young people, as learning an instrument can provide opportunities for scholarships to local schools. Some of the children here tell us about their reasons for learning the instruments, what other instruments they are learning and how they are enjoying the process. We cannot wait to see their progress and finally watch them perform with this incre…
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…imple bass drum beat to support the percussion. The shaker pushes the pace forward and accentuates the percussion. Other than defining the groove, the bass is also the lead instrument in this particular arrangement. The piano and gaara add more depth to the chorus parts and pull us away from the shakers’ high pace forcing us to lay back some more. I think the end result leans more towards dodo, at least to my ears.” We love what Stefano has done t…
Field Recording Report by Kahithe Kiiru Story
…led by locally famous musicians: Eric Shitakha and his Balozi Band on one hand and Benson Muhitsi’s isukuti group on the other. Shitakha’s Balozi band had basic Luhya instrumentation, notably using shirili fiddle and several idiophones (metal ring, rattles, etc.), while Muhitsi plays the isukuti drums in a style simultaneously authentic and original for his mastery and virtuosity on the drum. These two played a large number of popular Luhya folk s…
Here for Research? Page
…nts that they 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…
Toroka Uje Group
…e tuning their drums, by fire, as we arrived and we quickly interviewed a band member, Steven Jonas about drum names. Steven is also known as “Tomato”, a name given to him because he fits so well in any band he joins, like a tomato works with any sauce or salad. The drums were from smallest to largest: Chaavo Ndogo – small drum The Kinganga (Makonpe) or Kidalidali (Zaramo) – smaller drum Chapuo Kubwa – big drum. Boi – long drum, one sided Ndungula…
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…
Super Phoenix Band Group
…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 wanted great things from her including a good education. But she got pregnant after spending time with a cow herder and the father was so disappointed in her. Mukangala: This was a song made famous by Jacob Luseno and Julius Intenya when they first played together. Specific…
Kizazi Kipya Kidumbak Group
…A. He met us at with the first group and brought us to this one. They sing and perform mainly for weddings and celebrations. Performers: (all male): Juma Fadhul Juma (leader and secretary 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…
Richard Sewanyana Group
…he wouldn’t replace his father there was a panic and a desire that I go to the palace to replace my grandfather. So I played in the place of my grandfather for about two months, but then there was suddenly chaos.”…
Buganda Music Ensemble Group
…t for us. Albert is only one of 3 master players. It was played in solo performances and the Ennanga player was the advisor to the king, 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…
Watmon Cultural Group Group
…Eventually he had people coming to him asking to be a part of it, and from that point the group became an institution. In the fallout of the war against Idi Amin’s regime, many people were looking for an escape, and the troupe presented just such an opportunity. The group performed for President George Bush during a state visit to Uganda. They were also recorded in 2012 for the BBC’s World Routes album, presented by ethnomusicologist Lucy Duran. T…
Day Four: January 21 2019 Mwanza Story
…ele Sanaa Group: This group, from the Sukuma community, was formed in 2010 and performs with a number of styles: Bukomia Lume, Buchheye, Wigashe. Their instruments are: Ng’oma (Drums), Pembe (animal horns, large impala), Firimbi (flute), and Njuga (shakers). We recorded five performances: Ntale Atabihyala: ‘The boss, who is always wrong, wants to be always right. Just accept it’ Ba Tanzania (Malima): Praising country, encouraging farmers and har…