Nyege Nyege Festival’s third edition to highlight Uganda’s traditional music

Hugh Tracey was the first ethnomusicologist to travel while listening to and recording the music of sub-Saharan Africa. Before his death in 1977 he had collected 20.000 recordings which are stored at The International Library of Music.

He was in Uganda between 1950 and 1952 were he produced songs on a special series, Royal Court Music of Uganda, which has been shared to various African music explorers and academics.

This year’s third edition of Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival seeks to also showcase Ugandan traditional music. The music and dance will be from different tribes in Uganda, dances in Uganda defer thereby giving each tribe an identity. Dancing is like dreaming with your feet, comparably to other African countries, Ugandans accompany music with dance. The music is themed around everyday life such as wedding parties, burial ceremonies, courtship and ritual dances.

Nyege Nyege festival organisers yearn to showcase the connections between Africa and the rest of the world. Africa’s connection with the world does not end with music, traditional foods are also an important aspect that interests the world. Therefore the festival offers the revelers an opportunity to celebrate the diverse food heritage of East Africa and the world by flaunting a wide range of original recipes, ranging from East and West African snacks, east African Afro Asian fusion, Thai and Indian curries and delicious barbeque.

Music and dance are a fraction of art short of sharing music, Nyege Nyege festival also gives artists the opportunity to display their art along with second hand books, and unique clothing items handcrafted by designers from the region.

For those who love the Kitenge fabric pronounced as chitenge by Ugandans, tailors will be available with fabrics from across the continent ready to make a custom piece for anyone wishing to get clothes made during the festival. The Kitenge was previously used to make traditional attire but it has now been embraced by modern designers.

Aside from highlighting Uganda’s traditional music the three day festival will also feature international acts who are expected to arrive in August, a month ahead of the event which will run from 1 to 3 September 2017.Cameroonian singer Reniss has been confirmed to be on the line up and she will appear alongside rapper Jovi. Here is what to expect from her:

Ghanaian DJ/producer Gafacci and South African artists cruel Boyz are on the line up to perform. European acts include Peter Power, Dj Spooky, Airhead, Ninos Du Brasil and Harmonous Thelonious. London-based radio station NTS will host a stage at the festival, with Moxie, A.G, Skinny Macho and Rhythm Section resident Anu.

If you were thinking twice about attending the festival have a look at last years’s edition.

Aside from recording Traditional African music and dance for preservation, festivals similar to Nyege Nyege should be used as a platform to remind the world of the beauty of African dance and Music.