Day 2: Focus on the Nyatiti, Orutu and DRUMS! Story
…r), Andy and Tabu. After this shameless tourist stop we head out towards Siaya. We’re still roughly 1 PM on the Lake Victoria clock, 90 minutes NW from Kisumu, but on a slightly different road than Rang’ala. We’re here to focus on the Nyatiti, the core Luo instrument – as played by the best players it is a bass, drum and rhythm guitar combined. And we saw some of the best players. We want to remind you first of what a Nyatiti looks like and al…
Day 1: The music of the Luo – starting at Rang’ala Village Story
We are in Rang’ala with the chance to listen to Osumba Rateng and Ogoya Nengo… If you look at a map and think of Lake Victoria as a clock face, the village for today’s recording is at 1PM – it is the Rang’ala Village, home of the legendary Luo singer Ogoya Nengo. We’re about 90 minutes northeast of Kisumu, our ‘base’ for two days. We are here to record the Sega Sega Band (Benga Style) and the Do Do Band (Do Do), both Luo musical styles; the Luo a…
From Kisoro to Nairobi to Lake Victoria Story
…e ‘no man’s land’ to the Rwandan side, leaving the cars to come through separately. We check in with police and then go to Rwanda passport control to enter. This is now 7:20 or so and a big crowd is forming but luckily, as we were so early arriving,we got through okay. By about 7:40 we were done, but the cars were not yet allowed to pass, as the Uganda exit border had not yet opened for vehicles. By about 7:55 it opened and we climbed in our cars…
Day 6: The Studio @ Traveller’s Rest Hotel, Kisoro Story
DAY 6: An amazing day at the ‘Hotel Studio’, recording for the first time the Gatera Community (Alice’s community) and the Kabahenda Community. And the return of Francis and the Birara vocalists, and the Magic Bass Guitar… The day began with the return of Francis Sembargare from the lovely ‘Community on a Hill’. We started with an ‘Influences’ session with Winyo accompanying the ladies to sing Imparake Yagahinga – the song in praise of the Nation…
Day 5 (much later): The Micyingo Group – guitar and bass! Story
…ars and set up a smaller group of ‘bass’ and guitar and absolutely blew us away… They started as wonderful large group moving through a set of songs, including ‘Imparake Yagahinga’, the National Park song, which is a staple of the Batwa singing groups… This man was a wonderful dancer and he took centre stage. For us, he symbolised the essence of how life is for the Batwa today – a very hard life, but a life full of spirited song and dance… and thi…
Day 5 (PM): The ‘Togetherness Group’ from Kanyabukunga Story
…erful thing and we felt it was a great location to record Kanyabukunga Twifatanye (‘Togetherness Group”) from the village of Kanyabukunga. They are led by Gadensia Kampire. The SWP crew poses next to the road sign with the empty field behind. Soon, however, the area was filled with lovely children, here to watch some wonderful dancing and singing. As we unload the vans, the ‘Togetherness’ group are waiting to greet us on the ‘stage’….. The perform…
Day 5: Recording the Mperwa Dancers Story
…y. The second day of recording – beautiful sunshine in morning and there’s a patten emerging. Morning sunshine, afternoon rain, then the power goes out. Then the locusts attack. But let’s focus on the morning. This morning we recorded the Mperwa Dancers – the lead singer had a beautiful voice and we did an ‘Influences’ sessions with her. Until the music is ready, with think this village is best described through pictures: We arrived, greeted by lo…
Day 4 (later): Recording for ‘Influences’ with the Birara Dancers Story
DAY 4: We continued our recording of the Birara Dancers when we invited four of the performers (Francis and the three lead female vocalists) back to the Traveller’s Rest Hotel in Kisoro. Jennifer who manages the hotel is brilliant. She allowed us to set up a recording studio, under the verandah of her hotel, just outside the bar. We were able to record there over the next three days, rain or shine, night or day. Which was good, because it rained…
Day 4: UOBDU and the Birara Dancers Story
…ewarded with a great day of recording, starting in the morning with the Birara Dancers, led by the legendary Batwa artist, Francis Sembagare. We woke up early and were greeted with this wonderful view from the garden of the Traveller’s Rest Guesthouse: After breakfast our first stop was the office of the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBDU), where we met Henry Neza, the Capacity Development Co-ordinator, and Alice Nyamihanda…
Day 3: From Nairobi to Kigali to Kisoro Story
…. It is a completely land locked country. It shares Lake Victoria with Kenya and Tanzania. Crossing the Border: Rwanda was colinised by the Germans and Belgians, Uganda by the British. The result? As you cross the border between the two countries you switch sides of the road. Our drivers had left hand side drive, which was fine in Uganda, but meant that those in the passager side were left in the ‘middle of the road’ driving around Rwanda. Everyon…
Day 1 & 2: Preparing to leave for Kisoro, Uganda Story
…Singing Wells team was in the studio. It is worth re-introducing everyone again, as we will be discussing them throughout the trip: From Ketebul Music Tabu Osusa, Founder Steve, Project Manger Jesse, Chief Sound Engineer Willie, Sound Engineer Patrick, Chief Video Engineer Nick, Trainee Engineer Winyo, Ketebul Music Artist, “Influences Sessions” From Abubilla Music Jimmy Allen, Founder of Abubilla Music & Video Engineer for Sing…
Kenya (Coast): Day 4 – the road back to Nairobi Story
…Worth a read… We’ve finished our trip and had our long ride back from Mombasa. We used the opportunity to interview some of the team about the Singing Wells Project. Jimmy to Steve Kivutia (Singing Wells Project Manager): Q: So, first tell us about your self and one thing surprising SK: I was born in Nairobi. I am one of four, the youngest. Both my brothers have been in the studio and like what I’m doing. But my mom keeps telling me to get a real…
Kenya (Coast): Day 3 – our final recording day Story
…life went on as we recorded… Zigidigi Cultural Troupe The group is led by Matano Mwachiti, featuring the Kivolti, a lovely flute. The leader of the social centre and a key member of the Zigidigi Cultural Troupe.. https://youtu.be/KSzaveOB7SA https://youtu.be/N14zZK0dMQA Muungano Kayamba The groups is led by Futuma Ali Mwacheruve, dancing and singing in the Kayamba style (which is also the name of the wonderful percussion). It was our first ‘harv…
Kenya (Coast): Day 2 continued…. Story
…morning we had been in Malindi and gradually went back on the road to Mombasa to record in the morning in an other rural village. But now, we were much closer to Mombasa in a densely populated town, Junda. We drove into this very densely back ‘village’ going deeper and deeper into the urban jungle on very potted roads, packed with pedestrians, bikes and frankly, a lot of suspicious folks somewhat unwelcoming of our two big trucks. None of us coul…
Day 1: The very first field recording day for Singing Wells Story
…is about 15 kilometres from Malindi, which is on the Kenyan eastern coast, against the India Ocean. It has a long history, is mostly Muslim and has been ‘discovered’ by everyone including Chinese Emperor’s in the 1400’s. Sita is a very small village with about 200 people; we recorded in a subset of the village, where all of Bado‘s brother’s and sisters lived with their families. Bado is the fourth son of Nyerere Wa Konde, who runs the Nyerere Wa K…
On the eve of our very first field recording trip….. Story
…nyatiti (a lyre-like stringed instrument) which he played. Marina, Samba Mapangala: This is the song that Samba opened his piece with. He followed Ayub Ogado who played percussion throughout. There was a lot of dancing, including a drop by from Maddo: Winyo: He’s the current new star from the Ketebul stable. He sang back up for Samba and when he came on he said he was humbled by the extraordinary talent in the room. 50 years of East African music…