Traditional music and dance
Traditionally, music and dance have accompanied the social life of villages and their inhabitants. It's not just a distraction, but a form of communication that maintains the cultural and social coherence of the group: monarchic, cathartic, initiatory and rites of passage; 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 form in Uganda, probably the one that attracts the most troupes and crowds.
Each ethnic group has its own repertoire. Among the Baganda (in central Uganda), for example, there are musical and choreographic traditions such as Bakisimba and Nankasa, performed mainly at weddings and other ceremonies. The Bakisimba is one of the oldest and most widespread. Initially slow, this dance then speeds up, relying on waist movements and complex footwork. Nankasa is a cousin of Bakisimba, using the same outfits and music, but performed at a faster speed from start to finish.
In the north-west of the country, the Alur people practice a dance called Otwenge. Literally meaning "elbow", it sees male and female dancers waving their elbows in unison. Neighbors of the Alur, in the north of the country, the Acholi people also have a rich culture of dance, music and song. These include the larakaraka, a vigorously rhythmic dance of seduction, theanjolinaye, a song in praise of feminine beauty, and ding ding music with its gentle melodies and intense, syncopated rhythms. The famous Watmon Amone ensemble, made up of dancers and musicians, is the perfect embodiment of Acholi culture, and their songs resonate with the pain, hope and memory of a people held hostage for 20 years by the LRA. Their works are also an opportunity to hear Acholi musical instruments such as the lukeme, a lamellophone found 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.
Elsewhere in the country, the most common traditional instruments are the ngalabi (a long, rounded drum), theendongo (a lyre with a resonance box), theenkwanzi (a bamboo panpipes), theentongoli (a kind of lyre with a lizard-skin resonance box) 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 passed away in 2018) and left a large place for the lukeme and nanga in his works. There are also a number of fine Ugandan artists, such as Samite and Giovanni Kiyingi, who make frequent use of the country's traditional instruments in their compositions. In Kampala, the National Theatre (or Uganda National Cultural Centre) is a must-see institution in town. While it programs a wide range of films, plays and contemporary dance, it is also a popular venue for traditional Ugandan dance. Another important venue is the Ndere Cultural Centre in the north-east of the capital, with an amphitheatre and auditorium where visitors can discover the diversity and richness of Ugandan traditions. The center is also famous for its traditional Ndere dance troupe.
Popular music
By far one of the country's most popular and influential musical styles is 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 characterized by long, sometimes complex choruses. Lyrics are an essential part of the genre, which is why it's not uncommon for songs to be 10 minutes long. Pioneers of the genre include Fred Masagazi in the 1960s, and Elly Wamala, 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 neglected, especially in favor of kidandali. Kidandali first appeared in the mid-1970s with the Afrigo Band - the genre's first group to become an institution - mixing the Kadongo Kamu base with soukous and a few jazz elements. Over time, the genre was enriched by dancehall - particularly popular in Uganda - in the hands of artists such as Bobi Wine. Bobi Wine has become such a megaphone for Ugandan youth that he is running in the 2021 presidential elections.
Current music
There's no doubt that dancehall has found an ideal home in Uganda. The country adores the Jamaican genre, which has even become one of the most influential styles here over the past two decades. From pioneers such as Rasta Rob and Ragga Dee, big local names such as Bebe Cool and Jose Chameleone have given the genre a new lease of life. Among the most interesting MCs are Swordman Kitala and MC Yallah, whose avant-garde approach is a testament to the audacity of today's Ugandan scene.
And young local artists have plenty of audacity to spare. The Nyege Nyege Tapes label is a good example. Fascinated by the local electronic avant-garde and that of neighbouring countries, the label releases reissues of forgotten figures such as Otim Alpha - a former boxer who became a pioneer of electro-acholi (an electronic version of traditional Acholi music) in early 2000 - as well as modernized Ugandan percussion by Nihiloxica, the perfectly traditional Nilotika Cultural Ensemble and artists from Singeli, Tanzania's frenetic electro scene. Also worth mentioning is Hakuna Kulala, a label affiliated to Nyege Nyege and specializing in the exploration of Congolese and East African electronic music. Now a veritable institution among young people (and a niche international audience), the label organizes its own event, the Nyege Nyege Festival in Jinja, bringing together DJs and musicians from Africa and beyond on several stages over a four-day period. Quite simply the most important music festival in East Africa. In the same spirit, the One 54 Culture club in Kampala offers a well-crafted program (Nyege Nyege is never far away), while the Torino restaurant has also built up a good reputation with its Thursday night concerts.
