Tag Archive - Batwa music

Reporting back on recording trip to Kisoro, SW Uganda

November 15, 2012

Mperwa Batwa dance The Singing Wells project in Kisoro was a great success.  Over three days in Kisoro, we recorded the songs and dance of six Batwa communities and in doing so learned a great deal about their history and their lifestyle in Uganda today.  The following week, we invited ten of the Batwa performers to the Ketebul Music studios in Nairobi to record more songs, and in particular, collaborate with contemporary music artists to generate new material for ‘Influences’ - ...

UOBDU report on Singing Wells visit to the Batwa, Kisoro Uganda

November 8, 2012

Francis Sembagare for Singing Wells It's exactly a year since we took the Singing Wells project to Kisoro to record the music of the Batwa.  Since then we have been pleased to hear news updates from our friends and hosts at UOBDU about the Batwa communities we visited.  This week UOBDU Coordinator Zaninka Penninah sent a detailed report to us with feedback about all the music groups who performed for the Singing Wells project.  The good news is that being involved in ...

Return of the Batwa @ Ketebul Music Studios

December 9, 2011

11.11.24-1-Gir-HeadphonesG_0649-Medium While in Western Kenya, we made a decision to bring some of the Batwa singers back from Kisoro to Uganda.  We spent Saturday and Sunday recording them and the results are fantastic. While you start this blog, please listen to the full group singing Uganda in the studio: The whole way back from Kisoro to Kisumu we talked about the Batwa and how much we loved the singers.  We thought about bringing them to Nairobi sometime in ...

Day 6: The Studio @ Traveller’s Rest Hotel, Kisoro

November 24, 2011

11.11.24-3-Drums-3-Medium 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 National Park. Group ...

Day 5 (much later): The Micyingo Group – guitar and bass!

November 23, 2011

11.11.24-4-Bassist-Medium DAY 5 continued: Sunburned, exhausted, and ready to call it a day.  Just in time to be shocked by the world's best bassist.. Please listen to some exerpts of this performance as you read the blog: > We opened the 'Hotel Studio' for the Kisoro Hill Community who started with wonderful dance and song.  But then, they switched gears and set up a smaller group of 'bass' and guitar and absolutely blew us away... They started as wonderful large ...

Day 5 (PM): The ‘Togetherness Group’ from Kanyabukunga

November 23, 2011

11.23 PM 1.1 Dancing (Medium) DAY 5 continued: A wonderful afternoon - lots of children, sunshine and a very important empty field.Our time on the hill was followed with an afternoon in an empty field.  It was a delightfully empty field.  The purpose of the field is as a UN evacuation and refugee centre if there are troubles in Rwanda or the Congo.  The fact that it has no tents, has no refugees, is a wonderful thing and we felt it was a great location ...