Peter Cooke Uganda Collection

Omusango gw'abalere

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:06:50

  • Cultures

    Ganda

  • Shelf mark

    C23/37

  • Subjects

    Akadinda song

  • Recording date

    1987-09-25

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Peter Cooke Uganda Recordings

  • Recording locations

    Kidinda village, Mpigi, Central Province, Uganda

  • Performers

    Kiwuuwa, Sheikh Burukan (akadinda), Unidentified (akadinda team)

  • Recordist

    Cooke, Peter

  • Description

    Item note: Akadinda song. This was Cooke's first return visit to Uganda since 1968. Many of the informants were old friends who had survived 19 years of political turmoil and war. Conditions in southern Uganda were bad - the infrastructure of the country was in ruins and manufactured goods were in desperately short supply. Northern Uganda was still at war with the new President of Uganda, Museveni; The 1987 visit was made possible through the generosity of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and the Travel and Research Committee of the University of Edinburgh. (For a transcription of this song, see: Kubik, Gerhard (1969): "Composition Techniques in Kiganda Xylophone Music" in AFRICAN MUSIC, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 65, song no. 55). Performer's note: Sheikh Burukan Kiwuuwa is akadinda team leader and former royal musician. Recordist's note: In Peter Cooke's notes, this is PCUG87.21.6-7.

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User notes for this item

Because of an indexing error there are actually two akadinda songs included here. The first is called Nantaza lubanje, olubanje lulimussa. It is no. 93 in the Kubik repertory at the end of his article "Composition techniques in Kiganda xylophone music" (African Music - as above). Dr Sam Kasule (email June 22 2009) gave the following explanation of this title - Nantaza lubanje, olubanje lulimussa would loosely mean, What you borrow will cause your death (if you fail to return it). Nantaza = a person who (habitually) fails to return articles he borrows Lubanje = an article that is owed Lulimussa = will be his fate; cause his death; Yes, the second part is an extended title because it completes the saying / proverb." ---------- The second song is Omusango Gw''''abalere ( The case of the flutists) and relates to an event in the king''''s palace when members of the royal flute band behaved rudely towards one of the royal family.

Posted by Peter Cooke, Collector, University of Birmingham on 25/06/2009 22:40:00