African Music – The Blog of Samite

Posts Tagged ‘Soul of Africa’

We asked Samite to forward some information about his instruments and music to post here on the African Music Blog, and this was his reply.

“Most of the instruments I play, find me.

Some of them are given to me by instrument makers, and others like all the instruments I have collected from East Africa, are very old and have been played by masters who are now dead.

Such instruments have soul.  They are the “Soul of Africa” in my opinion.

If these instruments were to talk, they would repeat all the stories that they have accompanied over the years as musicians were entertaining in the villages.  Many of the stories would happy stories about newborn babies, and others would be sad stories about the death of a loved one.

I am very excited to have this Africa Music Blog so that I can share stories with you.  I look forward to telling you about the music that I write, the experiences that have shaped my songs, and my hopes for the future of African music.

photo credit: Sheryl Sinkow

When I am not playing the kalimba or flutes, I am playing the litungu.  The litungu is a seven string Kenyan harp, typical of the kind of instrument you will find in all the stringed East African Music.

I love this instrument because it’s very gentle.  If you just listen, you might think you are listening to a guitar.  In this link you can download for free, an MP3 version of a song I call “Waterfall.”

Waterfall

It was recorded live in a concert I did with David Cullen in Elizabethtown PA.  Let me know what you think.

I look forward to sharing other songs with you in the future.

Mirembe (peace),

Samite”

Wow, all I can say is this is very moving.  You will truly appreciate the spirit of Samite’s talent and beautiful music in this free African music download. > Right Click Here to Download – Select Save Link As

Rich Hill, editor
AfricanMusicBlog.com

(Please leave your comments below.)

The story of Uganda music is much like the tumultuous history of the country itself for the last 100 years.

The center of Ugandan music is the city of Kampala and the area of Wandegeya.  The musical icon of this region is Bernard Kabanda who played a form of music called Kadongo Kamu, meaning “one guitar”.   This style of sound is revered by the older people of the villages, though it is a hard sell to the younger generations who enjoy more complex sound involving more instruments.

The newest form of music in East Africa is called takeu.  It is borrowed from the first letters of Tanzania and includes sounds from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

In the central area of Uganda are the people of Baganda who constitute one of the largest tribes there.  The King of Buganda is Kabaka and he is the customary patron of the music.  In this region music includes drums and expressive dances called the Nankasa, Amaggunju and Bakisimba.

Unlike other tribes in Uganda which rely heavily on percussive elements, the Baganda incorporate melody with instruments like the entongoli lyre, the ennanga harp, aerophonnes, idiophones and lamellophones.   One of the largest xylophones in the world comes from this area and it is called the madinda.

In central Uganda are the Langi tribe and they create music with a reliance on the thumb piano, or okeme.   This instrument was introduced to the region 100 years ago by the Congolese.  Their lyrics also closely resemble the rap music of America.  The dancing that accompanies this tradition of music is particularly lively and features much jumping and marching.

The uganda music industry is growing quickly and as much as 40 % of the sounds you hear on Ugandan radio stations are from local musicians, showing there is widespread support for this authentic music niche that is spreading worldwide.

Our friend Samite brings you a true authentic form of Ugandan music instilled in his childhood and delivered with all the passion that is the true Soul of Africa.  Watch the video on Samite’s main website and you will be moved by his description of his mother playing a stringed instrument stretched between a bent tree sapling and a tin cover.

You will help the cause and spread the joy of African Music by pre-ordering Samite’s forthcoming CD.

The Soul of Africa music is unique to the African continent but which everyone can enjoy.  Prepare yourself for a different experience that is grounded in folklore, mythology, Gods and legends.

The first thing you will notice about African music is the predominant rhythm.  It is based on tens of thousands of years of cultural evolution and it will make you want to dance.  In fact, dance is very much a part of the African musical experience.  African music is intended to link the things you can see, with the unseen and dance brings these unseen visions some clarity.

African music has strong percussive elements and these can be produced with various instruments reflective of their societies; friction sticks, clappers, cymbals and rattles, commonly used to create a beat.

Some populations rely on xylophones and the mbira, a musical instrument from sub-Saharan Africa that has been a part of African musical culture for 800 years.  Often referred to as a thumb-piano, its metal strips are plucked or depressed to create both rhythm and melody and to accompany a singer and provide a rhythmic component.

Of course, conventional drums create rhythm too, as well as, bells and even clay pots.  African music has always capitalized on what was available.   You will enjoy the beauty of this instrument as played by Samite on several of his recordings.

Some African societies emphasis percussion more than melody, but others rely on the melody instead.  For these cultures, the mbira is seen primarily as a melodic instrument.  Interestingly, in some societies the use of the mbira is restricted to Chiefs or other traditional hierarchical figures, particularly if the instrument is being used for a religious purpose.

There is much to enjoy about African music; an art form born of ancient mystery and wonder, and one which is readily shared with the world.  Thanks to modern technology, the Soul of Africa can be a part of your music library too.

Welcome to our new African Music Blog, a feature designed to bring you the latest news about the world of African music currently enjoying a worldwide following.

Thanks to our dear friend Samite, Soul of Africa sounds are available to a global audience.  The New York Times describes Samite’s music as “serenity” that “seemed almost miraculous”.  If you know about Samite’s extraordinary outlook on life, you will understand why his music is so transformative.

From his early years in Uganda where his grandfather taught Samite how to play a traditional African flute, to his escape from a political dictator to Nairobi, to the peaceful enclave of Ithaca, New York, Samite says music unites the world.  He blends African traditions with challenge, fear and ultimate rebirth.

Our African music blog will provide you with some of this history and perspective and update you on Samite’s latest project, an 8th CD focusing on Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Mathai of Kenya.  Samite is proud that the winner of this prestigious honor hails from his native Africa and he will strive for music that is worthy of the occasion.

Like Samite’s extraordinary life, music with African roots continues to evolve.  Historically African music has been difficult to record in writing; it is passed down in an oral tradition and that makes it very different from western music and even from the music of Northern Africa which has Arabic influences.

Sub-Saharan music involves dance as an extension of the expression of music.  Since African dialects involve tone languages, that is, the pitch of the delivery changes the meaning of essentially the same word, rhythm; melody and dance follow the tone of the voice to assist in the “translation” of the song.

We will provide a lot of exciting information for you to peruse, both traditional and modern.  So check back frequently with our African Music Blog and learn a little something new with every click of the mouse.