UGANDA
Ugandan Recordings began in August 2013 with a simple mission: to uncover and share the rich musical heritage of northern Uganda. What started as a search for hidden sounds soon became the foundation of Wandering Songs. Along the way, we discovered talented artists bringing to life a variety of traditional instruments, from the adungu and lukeme to the nanga, bila, and orak. Every song we recorded is paired with a video, offering a window into the artist’s world.
Opira Morise Kato
Opira sang in leb Acholi (language in northern Uganda) and played a traditional Ugandan instrument called the Adungu. He turned this acoustic instrument into an electric one. With some built-in pickups (made out of an old radio) powered by batteries and two Sony HiFi speakers, he was good to go!
Unfortunately, Opira Morise Kato has passed away.
His unique artistic talent and his kind and gentle personality are deeply missed.
June 4, 1969 – April 24, 2015
Ogwang Clipper
Ogwang Clipper played the Nanga, a traditional instrument with seven nylon strings set in a wooden box. He was one of the most experienced and respected Nanga players in northern Uganda, often performing together with his wife, Sabina Lawino. Sadly, he has passed away. These videos serve as a remembrance of his life and music.
1936 – September 24, 2020
OJ Murugut
This group consists of OJ Murugut on orak (calabash) and lead vocals, Ojwee Nahman on the rigi rigi (tube fiddle) and Olweny Maurice Abitingson on orak, vocals and nanga (also called ‘trough zither’, because it resembles a water bowl for cattle). Acholi artists traditionally wear feathers on their head -called kono– while singing and dancing, drawing attention to their movements.
Lukeme Kalule
Lukeme Kalule is an Acholi musician from northern Uganda. He has a beautiful deep voice and plays his lukeme (thumb piano) in a percussive way.
Xylophone Trio
This trio consists of three young students from Kitgum Public Primary
School; Odong Oscar Kham (sitting alone), Kilenga Geoffry and Okemokoma
Emmanuel.
Okidi
The Ugandan Okidi group consists of Ocira Bosco on lead vocals, two orak (half calabash) players and a women ululating (making a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound). During this performance the orak is being struck with spokes from a bicycle. When Ocira is not singing, he plays bila (small horn).
Okony Tumangu Tim
Okony Tumangu Tim literally means ‘Help Tumangu Team’. Tumangu is a small village in Kitgum district in northern Uganda. Most of the thirty-three group members are women. They dance and sing about issues that are important to their community, such as land, sickness and war. Besides the choir and dancers, the group consists of a lead singer, two ladies playing bila and whistle and two drummers.
Sherry Princess Olivia & Brother Q
Centenary Children Choir
Riyadh Mosque Nursery School
The young children and teachers from the Riyadh Mosque Nursery School in northern Uganda enjoy singing.
St. Janani Luwum choir
The choir of St. Janani Luwum parish singing during sunset in Kitgum town, northern Uganda.
Opete church Kitgum
Sunday morning in northern Uganda: lots of people go to many different churches. In Opete church in Kitgum town the service is held in leb Acholi (Acholi language) and accompanied by local instruments. Many types of adungus (traditional harps) are being used. The bass adungu player is sharing a seat with the drummer, there is a shaker and of course the choir.
Storm Breakers
Storm Breakers is a young adungu (traditional harp) duo consisting of Leekwo Michael and Wakuru Emmanuel. They are both from northern Uganda and often play together in church.
Brass Band Kitgum
3 Paul Sounds
3 Paul Sounds consists of three young adungu (traditional harp) players and singers from northern Uganda. 3 Paul Sounds: “This song is about the twenty years of war in northern Uganda, which has brought great distress and hardship to this area. Parents died and left many orphans. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) raped our girls. They made us to live in poverty. We pray that there will never be war again.”
Jimmy Jimson
Jimmy Jimson is a singing artist from northern Uganda. He plays adungu and guitar and composes music for different events. He often performs at church, weddings, graduations and burials. Jimmy Jimson: “In this song I talk about how people are often fooling around, more than any other creature in the world. Therefore, I thank God for creating mankind on the last day, otherwise people would have tried to take credit for creating the world.”
Luo Academy – Introduction Ceremony at Onyama Wedding
Luo Academy is a northern Ugandan group consisting of four dancers, two orak (calabash) players, two drummers and two members on olwet (flute). These plastic flutes are the modern version of the bamboo flute. Luo Academy: “This traditional Acholi dance is called ‘Dingi dingi’. It is performed when a girl has introduced her boyfriend to her parents. They have to approve the relationship and give the go-ahead for marriage.”
Cityboy
Cityboy: “This song is about a beautiful lady who is at risk of being raped when she is drunk. I warn her to abandon that kind of lifestyle.” Cityboy is a music producer and artist from Kitgum and owner of Soundbeats studio. He sings and plays the lukeme.
Radio announcement Pol FM Kitgum
We from Scandal Studios (now Omni Recordings) from the Netherlands and radio station Pol FM (northern Uganda) have hosted a traditional instrument talent-show in Kitgum in December 2013. In this radio announcement traditional musicians were invited to join the event. We were looking for artists playing instruments like adungu (harp), nanga (wooden zither), lukeme (thumb piano), rigi rigi (one string violin) and the wooden xylophone.