Traditional music and dance
Traditionally, music and dance accompany the social life of villages and their inhabitants. It is not only a distraction, but a form of communication that maintains the cultural and social coherence of the group: monarchic, cathartic, initiatory and passage rites; pastoral songs; exaltation of courage and love... Everyone finds a way to express their power, strength, spirituality, charm and virtuosity. Dance is also a very lively art in Uganda, probably the one that attracts the most troops and crowds.
Each ethnic group has its own repertoire. Among the Baganda (in the centre of the country), for example, there are musical and choreographic traditions such as the Bakisimba or the Nankasa, which are mainly performed during weddings or various ceremonies. The first, the Bakisimba, is one of the oldest and most widespread. Initially slow, this dance accelerates in a second time, relying on movements of the waist and complex footwork. Nankasa is a cousin dance of Bakisimba
, which uses the same outfits and music, but is performed at a faster speed from start to finish.In the northwest of the country, there are the Alur people, who practice a dance called Otwenge. Literally meaning 'elbow', it sees dancers (both male and female) waving their elbows in unison. Neighbours of the Alur, in the north of the country, the Acholi people also have a rich culture of dance, music and song. The larakaraka, a seduction dance with a vigorous rhythm, and theanjolinaye, a song in praise of female beauty, can be heard here, as well as the ding ding music with its soft melodies and intense, syncopated rhythms. The very famous Watmon Amone ensemble, composed of dancers and musicians, is the perfect embodiment of the Acholi culture and its songs echo the pain, hope and memory of this people held hostage for 20 years by the LRA. Their works are also an opportunity to hear instruments of Acholi music such as the lukeme, a lamellophone that is widespread throughout Central Africa and also known as the sanza, mbira or likenge; the nanga, an eight-stringed bowed harp similar to a zither; and theadungu
, another type of bowed harp.In the rest of the country, the most common traditional instruments are the ngalabi (a long, rounded drum), theendongo (a lyre with a resonance box), theenkwanzi (a pan flute made of bamboo), theentongoli (a kind of lyre with a resonance box made of lizard skin) and theendingidi
(a single-stringed fiddle with a cylindrical wooden resonance box). In France, we remember the "African Leonard Cohen" Geoffrey Oryema, Ugandan by birth, who lived here until his last days (he died in 2018) and left a large place for the lukeme and the nanga in his works. There are also some very good Ugandan artists such as Samite and Giovanni Kiyingi who frequently use traditional Ugandan instruments in their compositions. In Kampala, the National Theatre (or Uganda National Cultural Centre) is a must-see institution in town. While it shows a lot of films, plays and contemporary dance, it is also very common to see traditional Ugandan dances. Another important venue is the Ndere Cultural Centre in the north-east of the capital, which has an amphitheatre and an auditorium where visitors can experience the diversity and richness of Ugandan traditions. The centre is also famous for its traditional Ndere dance troupe.Popular music
One of the most popular and influential music styles in the country is by far Kadongo Kamu. Literally meaning "one guitar" in Luganda, Kadongo Kamu is originally structured - as the name suggests - around a single (acoustic) guitar and is also characterised by long and sometimes complex choruses. The lyrics are an essential part of the genre, which is why it is not uncommon for the songs to last 10 minutes. Among the pioneers of the genre were Fred Masagazi in the 1960s, and Elly Wamala, who is considered one of the founders with Nabutono, the first Kadongo Kamu song to be recorded on vinyl. In the 1980s and 1990s, other artists such as Herman Basude, Fred Ssebatta and Paul Kafeero popularized the genre. Today, Kadongo Kamu is somewhat abandoned, especially for kidandali. Kidandali, which is very popular, appeared in the mid-1970s with the Afrigo Band - the first group of the genre to become an institution - mixing the basis of Kadongo Kamu with soukous and some elements of jazz. Over time, the genre was enriched by dancehall - particularly popular in Uganda - in the hands of artists like Bobi Wine. Bobi Wine has become such a megaphone for Ugandan youth that he has run for president in 2021
Current music
Uganda is undoubtedly a good place for dancehall. The country loves the Jamaican genre, which has even become one of the most influential styles here in two decades. Since the pioneers Rasta Rob and Ragga Dee, local greats such as Bebe Cool and Jose Chameleone have helped the genre grow. Among the most interesting MCs are Swordman Kitala and MC Yallah, whose avant-gardism is a testament to the audacity of the current Ugandan scene.
And the young local creation has plenty of audacity. Good proof with the catalogue of the Nyege Nyege Tapes label. Passionate about the local and neighbouring countries' electronic avant-garde, the label releases reissues of forgotten figures such as Otim Alpha - a former boxer who became the pioneer of electro-acholi (electronic version of traditional Acholi music) at the beginning of 2000 - as well as the modernised Ugandan percussion of Nihiloxica, those of the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble, who have remained perfectly traditional, and artists from Singeli, Tanzania's frenetic electro scene. Let's also mention Hakuna Kulala, a label affiliated to Nyege Nyege and specialising in the exploration of Congolese and East African electronic music. Having become a real institution among the youth (and a niche audience internationally), the label organizes its own event, the Nyege Nyege Festival in Jinja, bringing together for four days, on several stages, DJs and musicians from Africa and elsewhere, faithful to its artistic line. Quite simply the most important music festival in East Africa. In the same spirit, the One 54 Culture club in Kampala has a well-crafted programme (Nyege Nyege is never far away), while the Torino restaurant has also built a good reputation with its Thursday night concerts.
