When Andy was asked by Gary Barlow’s production team about Kenya musicians, he recommended Ayub Ogada who plays a traditional stringed instrument called the nyatiti.  We are delighted that Gary did contact Ayub and that he features on ‘Sing’ written especially for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee:

Our previous post on this (March 23rd 2012)

Our friends at the Kenya Tourist Board UK & Ireland have added a feature about Singing Wells in their Magical Kenya March 2012 newsletter but the headline article is about Gary Barlow’s visit to Kenya to find musicians from the Commonwealth countries to perform on his song for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

We have to admit to playing a small but hopefully significant part in Gary’s search for talented Kenyan musicians.  We were asked by Gary’s production team for some advice about Kenyan music and our very own Andy Patterson suggested Ayub Ogada who we met in 2011 just as Singing Wells was launched (you can read our blog post here).  Ayub, a musician from the Luo tribe, plays a traditional instrument called the Nyatiti and performed the beautiful and haunting song Kothbiro for the soundtrack of the film The Constant Gardner.

We were delighted to hear that Gary followed Andy’s advice and met Ayub on his trip to Kenya this week.  Here he is speaking about it to Chris Evans on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show (22nd March).

Click here to listen: Gary Barlow speaking from Kenya on Radio 2

Kothbiro

If you’ve never heard the song Kothbiro here it is – we think you’ll love it as we’re sure Gary Barlow does.

Magical Kenya

If you’re going to Kenya on holiday we recommend you visit the Magical Kenya website first – it’s a fantastic source of information about Kenya and has everything you need to know about planning a great trip.  Here’s the link: Magical Kenya

Janet Topp Fargion

Lead Curator World & Traditional Music, British Library

I was so excited to be referred to the Singing Wells Project website. I’ve shared it with a lot of people because these sorts of collaborative efforts at recording, archiving and disseminating music ethically are so important. I met Tabu Osusa and Bill Odidi while doing some training on audiovisual archiving in Kenya as part of a British Library World Collections Programme initiative. It was a great pleasure and it is wonderful to see these fruits of their expertise and enthusiasm.

Janet Topp Fargion, Lead Curator World and Traditional Music, British Library

website: http://www.bl.uk

online gallery: http://sounds.bl.uk

main catalogue: http://cadensa.bl.uk/cgi-bin/webcat

Cultural Pavilion

Here’s the Kenya stand in the Cultural Pavilion - the Singing Wells DVDs are actually on the right hand side of the table!

Tribal artefacts were also on display…

And the Nairobi Chamber Chorus performed with some tribal music and dance groups……

The show consists of seven acts drawing displays from different parts of the world, reflecting the countries which The Queen has visited during her reign.

Representing Kenya, the show will feature:

• Performers from the Masai, Samburu, Luo, Kamba and Kikuyo tribes
• The Nairobi Chamber Chorus considered the topmost choir in Kenya today

Cultural Pavilion

At the entrance to Windsor Castle there will be a Cultural Pavilion which will contain a backdrop of graphic representations of all the countries that have had a role to play in the Queen’s reign.  

On the Kenya stand there will be Singing Wells DVDs freely available for guests. The DVD is from our ‘Best of Singing Wells 2011‘ and features  music videos from our field trips to the Coastal Region and Nyanza Province.  We are grateful to our friends at the Kenya Tourist Board and Hills Balfour for arranging this for us and giving Singing Wells a presence at this wonderful cultural celebration. 

You can read all about our trip to Uganda and hear the music of the Batwa here: Field Reports

An email from UOBDU

Following our trip to Kisoro last year we sent a parcel to UOBDU for the Batwa communities we visited. The parcel contained printed books of photos of all the people we met and CDs and DVDs of the music performances we recorded.  We also printed some leaflets about the Batwa in Uganda and their traditional music and dance which we hope will help to promote their standing in the community in Kisoro and beyond.

Zaninka Penninah from UOBDU sent us this message:

Dear Victoria,

Greetings Batwa community members. Please find the attached photos taken while the Batwa are viewing photos from the Albums.

The Batwa were so happy – I think you can even see it from those photos. The field visits is about to end while showing the photos to all the communities who performed music. Below are there comments

• None of us were expecting this
• We are happy to see ourselves and our friends Gasoda holding the pot its real.
• Gasoda looks exactly the way he always appears
• The Batwa who went to Nairobi were happy to see themselves in photos once again.
• Thanks to UOBDU and Singing Wells for sending this Album to us
• See how we were dressed it is exactly the one I was addressed.
• In the Camera you can see everything,
• One was showing another one and said, See this one, you can not know that he is  the husband of Nkumbuye, he is very smart in the photos
• I have got this photo,now I’m Happy
• UOBDU needs  to be supported so that it can continue bringing more friends like Singing Wells. This helps the Batwa get more exposed and the people who do not know us will see us at least from these photos.
• This is an indication that Singing Wells can deliver, if Singing Wells can send photos that means even other things they can.
• This is the same group that came to Kisoro and gave us a lot of money last which made Batwa a nice food that time.
• This is Winyo, we shall always remember him for his passionate and his sweet soft voice. Winyo loved the song a parake yacu yo mgahinga.

UOBDU say thanks to Singing Wells.

Those are the comments from those who were viewing the photos.

Best wishes,

Zaninka Penninah

UOBDU Coordinator

P. O. Box 169, Bazanyamaso Road,

Kisoro – Uganda.

If selected, Winyo will benefit from a year of mentoring with the legendary Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, Gilberto Gil.

To find out more about Winyo you can visit the Ketebul Music website – just click here

Singing Wells ‘Influences’ sessions featuring Winyo

More performances from Winyo