Day Five: January 22, 2019 Mwanza Continued Story
…style, 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). This was a group of wonderful dancing and costume changes. Every song a new and wonderful outfit. We recorded six performances: Omusingero: A song abou…
Global Influences Project: Artist Submissions Page
…were high on the programming of this song. I added a few Techno elements still maintaining the Afro House percussion and groove to compliment the sample. The chord progression was the last touch as it also gave the record color and vibe.” You can follow Shona on Twitter (@afroshona), Instagram (@officialshonasa) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/afroshona) AMZI ODEK X ALOKA OHANGLA//NYATITI GROUP We really enjoyed this submission from Tro…
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…ers here (https://www.singingwells.org/partners/) Further Reading UOBDU Website Ford Foundation Website Ten More Singing Wells Stories: The Batwa A Story of Batwa Traditions The Batwa of Kisoro Album Recording in the Travellers Rest Hotel “Studio” Our Field Report: UOBDU & The Birara Dancers #9 – Bigger and Better in Uganda The Giant Instruments of Uganda Our travels across East Africa have shown how each region has their own voice, style and iden…
Our Sponsors Page
…ells project, helping to design and put into practice our ideas for our website. Our website is the main repository for all of our recording activities in East Africa, and the we are very proud of the latest version. Thanks to Wes and the team at Nebulo Strata for their continued help and support. To find out more, go to: http://www.nebulostrata.com Clarkson, Wright & Jakes Type of Sponsor: donation in kind Thanks to Clarkson, Wright and Jakes s…
1. Introducing the Naizungwe drums Story
…rg/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Peter-Cooke-naizungwe-recording-1.mp3 http://www.singingwells.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Peter-Cooke-naizungwe-recording-2.mp3 What makes this project particularly exciting, is the difference of approach required compared to the entenga drums. With the entenga we found a surviving old master player (Musisi) who was able to teach a younger generation of musicians about the music and the performances. In the case of…
Fundraiser for Matthew Watmon News
…s may be able to help us. If you are based in East Africa, please get in touch with Matthew’s brother, Constantine Odida ((MTN) +256-782-236-742 and (Airtel) +256-704-261-037). If you are based elsewhere in the world, we have created a GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mathew-watmon The donors of Abubilla Music Foundation, who support the Singing Wells project, will match these contributions up to £1000 so we greatly appreciate you…
Ketebul Music presents Shades of Benga Online News
…Music have just launched Episode 2 of their online series Shades of Benga Online, to go alongside their book ‘Shades of Benga: The Story of Popular Music in Kenya 1946 -2016’. You can watch the latest episode below, and also find out more at their website here. Shades of Benga: The Story of Popular Music in Kenya delves into the foundations of modern Kenyan music, examining external influences from the English waltz to Afro Cuban Rumba and how…
The Revival of Ohangla Music! News
…’s song Kanungo Eteko is massive on Youtube, and we were lucky enough to record him in one of our sessions in Nyanza here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaBQwODTtU…
Support for the Elgon Ngoma Troupe News
…ckgrounds through performance of traditional music, through breeding and meat production. Donate to Elgon Ngoma’s gofundme page here! And you can watch one of their brilliant performances, recorded on our 2014 field trip, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkyDtBXfunI Watch Julius, the leader of the group, explain who the Elgon Ngoma troupe is, and their mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Wk0YnbByk&fbclid=IwAR27BBeDBEx-5jMqkKxFTL9vtS5Nx…
Central & Eastern Uganda: Day 3, Part 1- Drum Making and Palace Players Story
…rope. I then take these long strings and soak them in water for 24 hours until they are very soft.” To do this, he takes a big thick piece of cow hide and then cuts around it in a long circle, going around and around, creating strings over 40 feet long. The skill involved to do this of even width without cutting the string off is amazing. 7. Drying and rolling the cow hide strings To dry and roll the long strings he takes us next door to an alley,…
Remembering Our First Ever Influences Session 8 Years Ago News
…ng as his family and Winyo performed this great improvised session. Stay tuned for exciting announcements about the 10th anniversary of Singing Wells! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8zR1Hq0VXc&lc=z232gt5hrrr5jbjpz04t1aokg3gsm0mrvnsg3wkih113bk0h00410…
Rediscovering the lost Royal Drums of the Buganda Kingdom: Day 1, Uganda Story
November 30: Meeting the professor and his students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpG0HLNxVQA The Singing Wells team united in Nairobi on November 28th and flew together to Kampala on November 29th. We are: Tabu Osusa, Jimmy Allen, Steve Kivutia, Patrick Ondiek, Hunter Allen and Nick Abonyo. After a night at the Fairway Hotel, we met James Isabirye at his university, Kyambogo University, to record the Entenga. Centre: James Isabirye We have be…
The Return of Bigwala News
…over 100 students have been trained in building the instruments, and have played at two royal celebrations. There seems to be a promising future for this important thread in the tapestry of Uganda’s cultural history. Sources: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ugandan-music-bigwalahttps://ich.unesco.org/en/news/uganda-young-ugandans-mobilized-for-safeguarding-bigwala-music-and-dance-00251https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1333991/bigw…
Central and Eastern Kenya: Days 5-11:An Interview with Gregg Story
…ging for the sheer joy of life. When we had finished recording, they were still singing. They had such joy, because they saw how much we loved their music. As we started to drive away they formed a leading party, singing the whole time as we exited the site. It was not a performance. It wasn’t even really thanking us. It was simply their joy. It was very deep. And it made me think back to my village life. When we gathered for big celebrations, the…
Central and Eastern Kenya: Day 4 – Nkubu to Mukuuni to Nairobi Story
…ith sequential breakfast order and departed for Mukuuni: We arrived on the site, the playing fields of the Mukuuni High School. We’re here to record one band, the Original Chuka Drummers, led by Eustace Mjuki Bundi. They are 30 males who all play drums except for their banner waver. They were formed in 1930 and have spawned so many imitations that they had to add the word ‘original’ to their name. They are Ameru, of Tharakanithi County. The group…
Central and Eastern Kenya: Day 3 – Nkubu to Mariene to Murungurune to Nkubu Story
…e don’t get a lot of young people in the groups in Kenya, and it is rarer still to have young men. It was a great pleasure to have such energetic dancers, taking us through the ritual dances of circumcision. The Ritual of Male Circumcision Before talking through the songs, let’s step back and talk through a ‘typical’ circumcision ritual. This is based on interviews with the extended Singing Wells team, most of whom have gone through the ritual in…