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…ssage represents the rest of the Batwa people. I listened to the recording of my song – it was so nice, so sweet.’ The day ended with her joyfully dancing to her own record, with her newborn baby in her arms. It was a moment that made so much of the work put in by the entire team completely worth it. And it has inspired us to continue searching for more voices like Jovah’s that need to be heard. A Ugandan Lullaby We spent a day on our Uganda trip…
Shitakha & Balozi Band Group
…ditional but arranged by Eric and his partner Moses Alusa. Their style is Milbo. They use drums and shiriri, but also a Shikhorli which we haven’t seen before. This is a shaker/bell, where two ball bearings of different sizes/tones are welded into metal pouches and then he plays. Moses is considered the best Shikhorli maker in the area. Here’s the band….
Day 2 – Sunday 2nd July 2017 Story
…ion was the fact that younger traditional players do not (or only exceptionally) compose new tunes, but replicate existing old ones. Within the nyatiti tradition, tunes remain the same, whereas the lyrics can change, evolve. They are the fruit of a specific player’s imagination and can be adapted to the occasion and/or to tell the praise of a different person. The fact that Meshack picked up the instrument only once his father had passed away brou…
Victoria Denison Staff Profile
…mmission for England and Wales. (Charitable status was achieved in June 2011). As well as acting as administrator to the Trustees, Victoria is the UK Project Manager for Singing Wells. Working closely with colleagues in London and Nairobi, she is involved in all aspects of the project including planning, fundraising, budget reconciliation, publicity and social media and website development. She has a passion for photography and has joined all thre…
Hannah Calascione Staff Profile
… …
Day Five: January 22, 2019 Mwanza Continued Story
…respect to traditional ways Basigazi Fura Emyende: A song about overcoming all of life’s challenges by working together Mwije Tuzane: We filmed this freestyle, where the group encourages the audience to get up and dance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRmP_vEbiMI&feature=youtu.be Group 2: Kidedeya: From Kagera, this group was formed in 2005 or 2009, and performs in the Omusingero style. Their instruments are: Ng’oma (Drums) and Nyimba (Shakers). …
Day 4 – Tuesday 4th July 2017 Story
…ints: He never sells an uncomplete nyatiti (includes painting ad strings); All of the instrument’s components are fixed and left to dry together (resonators, skin, arms and head). Finally, he makes a clear difference between clients who are traditional and/or locally famous players, for whom he does a sacrifice upon completion of job, and outsiders, commercial clients for whom he does no such thing. Finally, we closed our day with an indoors inter…
Day Two: 8 March 2022 (Ilesi) Story
…ed and we were able to resume the recording session. However it took a bit of time for the group to get some of their traditional instruments, including the adeu deu, in tune in with the guitars that were to back them up. One of the band members played the harmonica but it was only in the C key and so it was left out of the recordings of songs on different keys. Guest musicians Fiston, Ben and Gido also had to take a little time to play in sync wi…
Day Five: Ilesi, Khayega to Kisumu Story
…the context really begins. Ing’ombe: This is about the bulls (I can’t read my handwriting here!) Iminyi: This is a type of bird that hides in roofs and is difficult to find, but is a strong bird. The song tells the story that the best fighting bulls are not the ones preening around the village, but rather they keep to themselves until the fight. And then they win. The Shiselelo procession – this is for weddings. The songs include: Hoya: This is en…
Day Four: 10 March 2022 (Rongo) Story
…t their own way but later regrouped to form the Otacho Young Stars. Having come of age, they have appropriately dropped the Young Stars tag and are now simply Otacho Stars. For several years the group held regular shows at the Kamus bar in Ranen Centre before Covid 19 interrupted live shows, as in most places. Presently, they only perform on demand. On this live recording Dave Otieno played the guitar while Fiston Lusambo was on bass. Project Summ…
Singing Wells Stories Page
…ncers as part of our trip to record the music of the Kalenjin in the Rift Valley of Kenya in March 2012. The recording location was stunning. The group performed their piece ‘Chemuso’, which tells the story of the Marakwet people and their journey from their original home in Israel, following the path of the Nile into Sudan, down to Munt Elgon and then to their present home. This group, as with so many others throughout Africa, tell the story of t…
Day Three: 9 March 2022 (Kisumu) Story
…his peers as a fierce warrior and revered as a mythical figure by members of his community. Olith Ratego is an ingenious vocalist, a gift he inherited from his mother, Maria Anyango Odari, who was an accomplished singer in her own right. His musical style is greatly influenced by traditional dodo of the Luo people of Kenya who live along the shores of Lake Victoria. In 2001 he moved to Nairobi City and recorded his first song Mamano Daa which enj…
Here for Research? Page
…the groups we have met, you are in the correct place. Below you will find all of the research we have collated within our 10 years of experience recording the music of East Africa. Field Reports Our daily reports written from the field during our yearly trips. Head here for detailed information about the performances we record, the musicians we meet and the instruments that they are playing. Alongside this, expect interviews, historical informati…
Imachina Group
…the context really begins. Ing’ombe: This is about the bulls (I can’t read my handwriting here!) Iminyi: This is a type of bird that hides in roofs and is difficult to find, but is a strong bird. The song tells the story that the best fighting bulls are not the ones preening around the village, but rather they keep to themselves until the fight. And then they win. The Shiselelo procession – this is for weddings. The songs include: Hoya: This is en…
Day Six: January 24, 2019 From Mwanza to Dodomo to Nzali to Nairobi Story
…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 (Orutu), the Ize…
Mariene Traditional Dancers Group
…mba Mwarone Mpandi mautine Kirarire: Song about pre-cirumcision; they are calling out to all that can hear that they boys are ready. Wikiri Mariri: Song is about herding… He asks a woman for thin porridge which is kept in the gourd during long trips away. He meets someone else that wants the gourd and dies with it. In the song he calls for those who will really listen to what he has to say (this is the wonderful refrain at outset) Magic Moment: Si…