Buganda Royal Music Revival

The Kingdom of Buganda was founded in the 14th century and is located in the central part of what is now Uganda. Following the country’s independence in 1962 the traditional kingdom was abolished in 1966. It was re-established in 1993 as a cultural tradition and this album includes archive tracks from the 1940s to 1966 alongside contemporary recordings made during the filming of a documentary, which bears the same title as this record.

The music collected highlights a variety of instruments and vocal traditions integral to the royal court. It starts with the drums of ‘Mujaguzo’ named after a royal drum ensemble – a collection of a hundred thunderous drums that are as impressive as the Royal Drummers of Burundi. Other instruments include the endongo (a buzzing lyre), akadinda (wooden 21-key xylophone), ennanga (harp), gourd trumpet, tuned 12-drum chime and flute ensemble. Some of the examples are frustratingly short and the cultural relevance or sense of connection between them is somewhat lost without the benefit of the film documentary. Despite this there are some extraordinary examples of traditional instrumentation and vocals.