Day 4 – Tuesday 4th July 2017 Story
…ea of the current purchase conditions (order completed in approx. 2 weeks, price of 6000 Kenyan shillings per nyatiti), while mentioning that most of the nyatitis he makes go to clients from outside the area (as far as USA). Ogwe considers that since the materials are becoming more and more costly, so does the instrument and consequently fewer people are purchasing it. When describing his manufacture process, Ogwe enumerated several types of trees…
Contact Page
…House 12, Knoll Rise Orpington, Kent BR6 0PG (Registered charity no:1142173) www.abubillamusicfoundation.org.uk Ketebul Music The GoDown Arts Center P.O Box 21737-00505 Nairobi, Kenya (A company limited by guarantee. Registered no: 134230) www.ketebulmusic.org…
Our Sponsors Page
…rata 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 solicitors who were a big help when we set up our charity, The Abubilla Music Foundation. For more information on their services, head to their website at: http://www.cwj.co.uk/ Sheen Sports, London SW14 Type of sponsorship: donation in kind Thanks to She…
The Best of Singing Wells 2011 Album
…A collection of some of our favourite tracks from our trip in 2011. NOTE: some of the tracks on this album also feature on the release ‘The Batwa of Kisoro’ under different titles. …
Day Zero: 6 March 2022 – Travel To Stream Story
…as some of these online acts allow audiences to support the musicians via M-pesa and Pay-Pal contributions. Another possibility was to sell tickets with the use of online access codes that admit ticket holders into the virtual performance. The result was that a number of live streaming studios where performers book sessions to perform and stream their concerts sprung up in Nairobi. Some venues also adapted to hosting online performances, directly…
Singing Wells Stories Page
…Club in Rongo, and the first group we recorded was the Young Stars. Their brand of traditional music songs brightened our day immensely. Their song Charles Manager tells the story of a plantation manager they thank for simply doing his job. We invited them back to Nairobi in March 2012 to record their songs in the studio with producer Jesse Bukindu. To listen to the album of music of the Luo (including the studio version of ‘Charles Manager’ clic…
1. Introducing the Naizungwe drums Story
…s talks about: http://www.singingwells.org/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 mu…
Day 6: Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 Story
…village after a while and being accepted. Rushwa: about harvests, but also uses a metaphor of a broken chicken leg to say that even if love is broken, it will mend, the ‘girlfriend will come back.’ Rushwa Magic Moment 1: just vocals Magic Moment 2: percussion Malalanga: this is about being quiet because a performance is starting Magic Moment 3: Francis singing ‘Alelewani’ solo. Alelewani with full group Mikocheni Makongwe Malowe Magic Moment 4: Da…
Day 4: Tuesday, February 21st, 2017 Story
…and good harvest) Part two: We then brought in Henry and Leo Mkanyia, Rajab-Alli Morris, Steven Jonas (Tomato) and Elliot Wenman and Sophie Grant to play five more songs. These were: Marugaro Sanaa: arts Chipela: When you’re hungry you gather lots of fruit from the fruit tree). This song featured Ndanhini on the thumb piano who created the most amazing rhythm, which played off Henry’s bass brilliantly. Malalanga: this featured Tomato on vocals goi…
Day 3: Monday, 2017 February 20th Story
…the girl reaching the age where she needs to be hidden from men (roughly 15-17), protected in a hut, where she is instructed on how to be a wife, a mother and member of the village. In the dance, the ‘hidden girl’ is hidden under the blanket next to the woman. She is kept in the dark in a village hut from 6 months to 3-4 years depending on marriage prospects and her family’s ability to raise funds for the ‘coming out’ celebration. To symbolize her…
Day 2: Sunday, 2017 February 19th Story
…Uganda, where all ages participated and you had a feeling that the young people still really enjoyed the traditional dances. Here, the women are discussing how best to perform their dance for Sophie: And that was day two. A short drive back to the hotel….
Day 1: Saturday, 2017 February 18th Story
…e not only is he keeping the beat, but he’s also carrying a melody. And he uses 10-12 drums, sometimes more. This is not normal. Every drum was a note for him. He picked the skins for the drums and made them himself, finding in each the perfect tone. I have studied his music over years and I still can’t believe what he could do.” In Dar es Salaam we talked to Daudi Fernando Joseph, drummer for the Umoja Wa Kusini dance troupe about how Mzee Morris…
Fundraiser for Matthew Watmon News
…ease 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 your support at this time. We are sending our prayers to Matthew…
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…
Our journey to the Royal Drums: in the words of James Isabirye Story
…help. The only note I had was that we could reach Musisi through his sister-in-law. Now I had to find Musisi. He said his sister-in-law lived in Kasawo. Well it took me forever to find that village. After crossing swamps and taking wrong turns I kept asking for the village. Finally I found it and started asking for the sister-in-law. I found her and had only one question: is Musisi alive? He was, she said. But he lives in Kiboga which was about th…
Central & Eastern Uganda: Day 4, Part 1 – Reflections Story
…y to build the infrastructure. We can’t hide from this. A Unesco grant kick-started the Bigwala project. Singing Wells kick-started the Entenga project. But these projects won’t happen without ‘kick-starting’ and then sustainable funding. We have to ask ourselves: where is the support of the royal kingdoms or their people? We can only show them what they are missing – but the local communities must decide if and how to support this music on a sust…