Music library for oral cultures, without it nations would be uninformed

The cultures for all the 50 plus first nations of Uganda are essentially oral. Our history is captured and archived in music – songs, plays, drama, poetry, all, mostly in the oral form. A lot of the lyrics or words are spontaneously added during performances. The same song is modified each time it is performed,…

Daily writing prompt

What would your life be like without music?

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The cultures for all the 50 plus first nations of Uganda are essentially oral. Our history is captured and archived in music – songs, plays, drama, poetry, all, mostly in the oral form.

A lot of the lyrics or words are spontaneously added during performances. The same song is modified each time it is performed, including during a performance, to capture breaking news, if you will.

Contemplating answering today’s daily prompt, I googled “songs about Obote in Uganda.” It is fascinating to see the results.

I clicked on one the links titled: “Part 1: The Power of Songs in Uganda Presidential Politics (Videos).” A cursory read indicates a wealth of history on the way of life of Ugandans, going as far back as the 1900s captured in song.

Songs in Uganda are the archives of leaders’ propaganda accountability of how they want the world to to perceive their political contributions and manifesto achievements.

For example, when I googled “songs about Museveni in Uganda” one of the links which I clicked on and opened was “NUP’s Aganaga records song with NRM’s Museveni (Video).”

NUP (National Unity Platform) is the main opposition party current in Uganda, with the most opposition members in the 11th Parliament. NRM (National Resistance Movement) is the ruling party.

The president of NUP, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, is a celebrated musician who has perfected the art of using music to tell stories about the daily lives of ordinary Ugandans, while offering political critique about how we are governed.

It is no wonder that his musical concerts are practically banned within Uganda. The ruling party accuses him of using his concerts to make political statements and to insight violence against it. An interesting read “Bobi Wine Withdraws Concert Ban Petition Among Heated Exchange.”

And so, for us in Uganda, life without music would necessarily mean that we would be fully or partially uninformed about debates that have direct consequence on our lives.

Profiled Photo @ Ndere Troupe – Ndere Centre have perfected the art of using musical performances to deliver history lessons about Uganda; and commentary on current affairs.