A new EDM outift set to rock EA in 2020

Just about a decade ago, EDM in East Africa was still going through a hard time, never really bearing its skin in the mainstream music sector. But, the emergence of EDM outfits such as Santuri Safari and the Nyege Nyege Tapes, which is also a record label, and music festivals such as the Nyege Nyege (Uganda) and Africa Nouveau (Kenya), have contributed to the rapid, economic facelift and nourishing a young cultural identity never seen before.

Some of the artists that have so far managed to step up as one of its most celebrated EDM artists are Uganda’s Otim Alpha, DJ Kampire, Faizal Mostrixx, Nihiloxica. In Tanzania, there is Mim Suleiman, Sisso Records, Caad Reeda and Memoree Cad. Over to Kenya, there is Binky Bill, Alai K (Disco Vumbi), DJ Raph, Muthoni The Drummer Queen, KMRU and DJ Coco EM. Despite the success of these artists, the region needs more collectives with and even stronger identity. The UMR promises just that.

The Goethe Institut developed UMR in Tanzania in partnership with the Goethe Institut offices in Kenya and Uganda. The first leg of the concept took place as a three-day workshop between 23 to 25 August in Bagamoyo, Tanzania as part of the Ongala Music Festival (OMF) programme.

At the workshop, Tanzania was represented by Singeli, which was made up of singer Msaga Sumu and DJ Msolopa. Singeli is a style of music, which incorporates different musical genres from across Tanzania, all cross-stitched together into one electronic sound. Beats are repetitive and fast-paced with rapid-fire vocals in staccato bursts over rolling, loopy percussive sounds.

Uganda was represented by Acholitronix, which is made up of DJ, represented Uganda/ producer iZaya the Composer and multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Okello the two fuse EDM beats with music from traditional instruments such as the Xylophone and a fiddle. Lastly, Inanga, whose members include DJ Eric Soul, rapper Angel Umutoni and, instrumentalist and singer Deo Munyakazi, represented Rwanda. The trio incorporates electronic music, hiphop and sounds from the Rwandese drums and the Inanga traditional instrument.

The Cultural Programme Officer at Goethe-Institut Tanzania Daniel Sempeho says the workshop provided information about UMR’s viability and areas requiring changes to ensure that participants have no limitations when the project officially roles out. A new group from Kenya will join those who took part in the first leg to complete the UMR collective.

The 2020 project will include a residency that will last several weeks. Participants will have time to create an audio project in the form of an album or compilation. The project will then premiere in a series of concerts and festivals around the region.

Goethe Institut director in Tanzania Frank Werner believes the idea could not have come at a better time. “Throughout East Africa, we observed a trend in which more and more young musicians are rediscovering their roots, combining traditional instruments and local vocal languages with contemporary sounds and production methods of electronic music," Warner says.

"This creative upheaval often leads to completely new musical styles, such as Singeli in Tanzania, Acholitronix in Uganda or Inanga in Rwanda. However, we also observed that these quite similar musical developments are lacking a personal face to face inner-regional exchange. Only at some festivals like the Nyege Nyege Festival do musicians get a concurrently, experience of these different traditions.

Moreover, this quite often is limited by non-existing travel funds. One part of our cultural strategy for Sub-Sahara Africa as Goethe-Institut is to offer platforms and mobility support. Therefore, it seemed a good idea to assist those fantastic musicians in getting involved with each other.”

The musicians say the project helped them find similarities between their various musical cultures. When the Singeli group began improvising with Acholi and Inanga music, Msaga Sumu says he found an unexpected kinship between their music.

“Playing together felt like playing with long-lost siblings,” Msaga Sumu says. “Normally, interpreting what exists and creating something new are two different things. However, we discovered that all the sounds were somehow connected. In many ways, the three days we spent together served as a useful prototype for inter-genre collaboration and in turn, help the Eastern African electronic music scene thrive.”

Speaking about his experience in Tanzania, Eric Soul says: “As a DJ that dedicated over two decades in the music world, the bedrock of all EDM is African, it may be Trance, Techno, House, Jungle or Drum and Bass. The diverse percussion patterns and rhythms we hear in modern music often remind us of tribal vibes, the journey of music coming back to AFRICA is a natural evolution to embrace and celebrate,” he says.

“It may sound magical, new and fresh when we bring diverse traditional instruments, vocal style, flows and deliveries representing an authentic culture into the mix but it also touches people in ways that seem to be answering a need one was not aware of.”

The three-day workshop ended with the participants showcasing a one-hour performance at the OMF. “What was created there in just one and a half days exceeded all expectations,” Warner says. “It was like a miracle to see a cleverly designed one-hour stage program developing out of an intense and sometimes chaotic communication process. I heard from different people that the evening performance of our group on the main stage at the end of the third festival day was the most innovative.”

Eric Soul is confident that UMR is headed towards an inevitable EA domination. “With dedication, time and space to create a tight flawless project, I truly believe Urban Music Rebels has the potential to rock any crowd at any festivals around the world. It demonstrated the power of collaboration as the sum of our parts delivered - together! Ubuntu - we are because I am and I am because we are.”

Listen to Singeli music by Msaga Sumu below.