Watmon Cultural Group Group
…tthew was born on the 25th November 1951 in Kipgum district, Awedi village in the north of Uganda. He was fond of playing music as he grew up, playing the nanga (a harp) in the field as he tended the family cattle or worked on the farm. He lived in Awedi until 1991, when he moved to Kampala, due to the rebel fighting. He started a small group of dancers, performing Acholi traditional dance which he had learnt when he was young, both from grandfath…
Baseki Group
…he current band members. They are from the Sukuma Ntuzu community and play in the Bulabuka style. The play drums, which they call Ng’oma ya bula buka. The drums are made from the Mahama tree. We recorded eight songs with them: Balogi Wa Ngamboshi: This is about the Wizards of Balogi, where wizardry is perceived as a negative thing, evoking witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. Simiyu: A song for praise for the region. Bahuni ba ng’wanza: A song…
Day Three: February 18, 2020 (Stonetown, Mpendae, Maungani) Story
…nced and sung throughout. The village joined in the dancing as they continued to play. By the end it felt like a joyous party with many joining in, reminiscent of New Orleans Mardi Gras. …
The Music of the Mijikenda Album
This album documents the first Singing Wells field recording trip – to record the music of the Mijikenda in March 2011. The albums begins as the trip did, and in fact the whole project – with the Nyerere Wa Konde Music Club, and Zaire Ndindingwara – 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 fu…
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…sic 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 one week’s training and…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
…ed 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 to Akuna Matata. Kijiti These performers were all from the area and were an authentic representation of local traditional kidumbak music. Kirundo – this group performs in a fusion of t…
Here for the Music? Page
…perience some of the very best music East Africa has to offer then you are in the right place. For some of our stories, videos and the chance to listen to some of our Singing Wells Albums, head to the links below. Stories Read some of our most memorable stories from the field, featuring stunning photography taken by our team. Learn more about the communities we meet, the instruments that are being played and the background stories behind some of t…
Day Three: January 20th, 2019 Story
…he current band members. They are from the Sukuma Ntuzu community and play in the Bulabuka style. The play drums, which they call Ng’oma ya bula buka. The drums are made from the Mahama tree. We recorded eight songs with them: Balogi Wa Ngamboshi: This is about the Wizards of Balogi, where wizardry is perceived as a negative thing, evoking witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. Simiyu: A song for praise for the region. Bahuni ba ng’wanza: A song re…
Day One: January 18, 2019. Assemble in Tanzania Story
…ip (see our interview with Jackie here). We arrived at the Kifa Hotel late in the evening, ordered our ‘dried fish’ and crashed. This, our second major field visit to Tanzania, begins tomorrow. The Tanzania Team, with Jackie Akinyi A couple of quick background facts: This is our second Field Visit to Tanzania. (Please go here for the first trip) For Singing Wells, a field visit is when we visit a specific region of East Africa and record musical g…
Matende Culture Isukuti Youth Group Group
…to watch two bulls fight Ndulu Mumbo: The song you sing to celebrate the winning bull Songs around a funeral (Lwikhulu): Tsimbasi Tsia Mama: A song to console the mother who has lost a loved one. Mwoyo Kulimbila Mwikulu: After you die your heart will be able to rest. Songs for weddings (Shiselelo) Nukhufwale Maua: Giving flowers to the bride after the wedding Wulila Harvsi: The procession of groom coming to church and announcing the wedding at th…
Makunga Group
…akunga is from Dodoma and the Wagogo Community, which they argued is the main indigenous community of Tanzania (always from the land, never migrated into Tanzania. The group was formed in 2018, but was built on a much older group. They perform in the Wuyina style. Their instruments/costumes include the: Ndulele (Horn), the Nindo (Shakers), the Mbega: (Animal Skins), the Muheme (Drums), the Kabati (Shakers), the Kalimba (Thumb Piano), the Zeze (Oru…
Liwambwe Group
…nd a long drum called the Msondo, and a very long thin drum called a Neya. In the dance they had a character in a mask called a Lipiko, who wore a vest called a Mjuga. They played five songs: Malala Kujunga: Essentially means ‘be calm and quite, we are about to perform and need you to be quiet’ Nchakacha: A dance with the Lipiko (masked character) Tumpete Mwana: ‘Soothing the baby’ Apelambe: About a doctor who has all the medicines to heal, but th…
The Luo of Kenya Album
This album features a selection of the music recorded as part of the Singing Wells trip to record the Music of the Luo in Western Kenya. The album begins in Rang’ala village – with The Sega Sega band led by Osumba Rateng, and then a Dodo group led by Ogoya Nengo. We next move to Aluny Village – with performances from The Joginda Boys, Otieno Aloka and the late Okumu K’Orengo and his Nyatiti Group. The Kochia Traditional Dancers gave a very visual…
Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
…and things that women talk about to themselves – very suggestive songs but using innuendo, so all deniable if called out. Traditionally, these were all songs that were part of wedding rituals and used to prepare the bride. Songs about girls becoming women. The singers come from the Wagindo people, who came from Malawi to Zanzibar, probably through the slave trade. When the British stopped the slave trade they then stayed. This band has a strong Af…
Aynu Traditional Group Group
…known as the Madi, their current name perhaps came to be used after the intrusion of the Khartoum Arab slaves in the second half of the 19th century. Their origins are described in relation to their belief in mythology: with God’s creation of Meme and the universe. The first two human beings Gboro-Gboro (male) and Meme (female) are said to have been superhuman. Some traditions only speak of Meme, whose womb God filled with the living things in the…
The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…dungu (the Acholi version of the instrument – a three stringed lyre played using the chin). Waroco Terawo were our fourth group. A long drive out west brought us to Fort Murchison and Pakwach. We went on further to Widianga village and the Alur Kingdom Troupe. Later that day we were treated to Cieng Dwong back at Fort Murchison – darkness descending as we recorded. A travel day to Soroti was followed by another Likembe band – the Macedonia band, b…