ESSENCE KASOZI: UGANDA’S AFRO-POP PRINCESS

BY BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI

ALTHOUGH Essence Kasozi, Uganda’s Afro-pop princess has been accepted in the United Kingdom where she is based - she is a disappointed that her music is virtually unknown back home. She is seen in a photo at a recent performance.

“I have been accepted because there’s already a tradition of World Music in London and people appreciate it. London is somewhat of a centre for this music. Audiences here are more open-minded and there tends to be an enthusiasm for something different,” she says.

“I feel disappointed my music is not appreciated in Uganda but also I still have hope that people will begin to open their ears to other styles of music; this is always a slow process. The media has also a role to play to do something about this to make people aware just as this interview is seeking to reveal artists like us to the general public,” Kasozi said.

Although Essence commends the recording industry in Uganda for sustaining the music sector she observes that there is room for improvement. “The producers have to start getting musicians to play live instruments and also to get musicians who are experts on their instruments because when you get different musicians each one brings their own feeling to the music and this creates a much more solid work with more originality rather than everything from one studio sounding the same.”

She recognizes that live music is still dominated by men in Uganda but adds that this is changing. “I think women are mostly interested in singing/dancing but also there’s no tradition of teaching music. So, most women don’t get the chance to get involved in the other aspects. They have been mostly dancers apart from a few. Recently this has begun to change though and it’s encouraging.”

Regarding the impact of latest technologies like computers on the development of playing musical instruments in Uganda she notes, “It has killed the ambition of learning to play live instruments, which is a shame but they will snap out of it with time hopefully because technologies change and with that fashions fade.”

Neither is she pleased with the CD generation of musicians, observing that: “I guess singers becoming celebrities for just one or two songs and going on tours for that. They even go abroad to perform that one song using CDs - amazing. However, the CD track and miming performers’ days are numbered because as is notable, there are many live bands cropping up because audiences are tired of being hoodwinked.”

Essence‘s advice to young musicians who would wish to take up music as a career is, “Love the art first before thinking of money, learn the trade and get training in music theory and practice. Play one or a few instruments then you will be better set for a music career.”

Essence who sings mainly in Luganda fuses Afro-beat with Reggae and Afro-pop. With her soulful vocals she tackles issues related to love, advice to fellow women and social evils.

Essence first got into the entertainment business as an actress on the Ugandan scene. She performed with the Kayaayu Film Players, which was one of the leading theatre groups in Uganda in the 80s. She has appeared in several Ugandan TV soaps by the Ebonies group including "That's Life Mwattu" in which she played the character of ‘Anita.’

She later ventured into music with the release of her debut album 'Obukoddo' (Selfishness) in 1998. The 'Obukoddo' album is still awaiting reissuance by the Madhead Kitchen Records.

In 2001 she followed it up with the album Ekiseera mu Biseera (Time within time) under the Hans Records label. The album has ten tracks that include the title track Ekiseera mu biseera, Kuuma line, Nakamatte, Mwanyinaze. It was a top seller in the East African section of CD baby for over 6 months and number 3 in the Afro-pop top 10.

Ansudde Ddalu (He has made me go crazy) released in September 2007, under the Madhead Kitchen Records label is mainly blended in Afro-pop crossing from the Kalimba/Akogo rhythms and melodies to funky dance grooves and slices of Latin. The ten-track album that was inspired by love has songs including the title track Ansudde ddalu, Nkwagala nyo, Wotoli, Nsaliddewo ddala and Gwe weka. The album was number 8 in top selling Afro-pop albums at CD Baby.

Asked as to which of her two released albums is her best, she says, “My second one “Ansudde Ddalu” although I must say a lot of people appreciate “Ekiseera mu biseera” I guess it’s a little raw and that quality can also have its own appeal.”

Essence’s fans should expect her next album next year because at present she is working on a musical film project.

She says her best moments of her musical career when she played live at the BBC World Service in 2004 and the first time she performed at the National Theatre in London, “it was a thrill and an honour. The audience was very vibrant and they received my performance very well; I loved it.”

In September 2003, Essence was one of the Ugandan artists who were recognized for their contribution to the Ugandan community in the U.K. at the inaugural Ugandan Music Awards. The South Bank Arts Centre in England has described her as an Afro-pop princess from Uganda.

Ends.

Caine Prize Shortlisted Story Inspired By LRA Rebellion

A SHORT story by a Ugandan poet and short story writer that was shortlisted for 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing was inspired by the brutal effects of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war in the north of the country.

Beatrice Lamwaka says that the idea of her short story “Butterfly Dreams” emerged after she heard the sad tales of child captives at a rehabilitation centre in Gulu district. She is seen in the above picture taken by MORGAN MBABAZI reading the same anthology.

Lamwaka was shortlisted for short story, “Butterfly Dreams” from ‘Butterfly Dreams and Other New Short Stories From Uganda,’ published by Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, Nottingham (UK), 2010.

Butterfly Dreams’ is about a family that has been waiting for five years for their daughter, Lamunu to return home from the hands of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. The family has even buried her tipu (spirit), when word went around that she would not return home. Bongomin, one of the abductees who had returned home from four years of abduction, claimed to have seen her dead body bursting in the burning sun.

The family never believed Lamunu was dead. They also did not want her tipu to roam northern Uganda. They did not want her to come back and haunt them. The family had become part of the string of parents whom listened to Mega FM every day for names of their loved ones. The mother never believed for one moment that her child was gone. It was the mother’s strength that kept the family hoping that one day Lamunu would return.

The mother said she dreamt that butterflies were telling her to keep strong. The night after the dream there were so many butterflies in the house. The other family members thought their mother was running made. They thought Lamunu had taken their mother’s mind with her.

Their father was brutally murdered by the rebels after finding him in the garden and yet everybody was supposed to be in an internally people’s displaced camp. “…They later cut his body into pieces. Lamunu, we did not eat meat after we buried your father and we have not eaten meat since then… We could never understand why another human being could humiliate another, even in their death.”

When Lamunu is finally rescued by the soldiers in Sudan and returned home she is a traumatized and changed girl.

“You were at world vision, a rehabilitation centre for formerly abducted children. You were being counseled there. You were taught how to live with us again. Ma (mother) cried and laughed at the same time. Yes, you were alive. We couldn’t believe at long last out anxiety would come to rest. That night, Ma prayed. We prayed till cockcrow. We were happy. We were happy you were alive. Pa (father) might have turned in his grave…,” the story reads in part.

“You returned home. You were skinny as a cassava stem. Bullet scars on your left arm and right leg. Your feet were cracked and swollen as if you had walked the entire planet. Long scars mapped your once beautiful face. Your eyes had turned the colour of pilipili pepper. You caressed your scars as if to tell us what you went through. We did not ask questions. We heard the stories before from Anena, Aya Bongomin… We are sure your story is not any different,” the story goes on.

“When you returned home, Lamunu, we were afraid. We were afraid of you. Afraid of what you had become. Ma borrowed a neighbour’s layibi. Uncle Ocen bought an egg from the market. You needed to be cleansed. The egg would wash away whatever you did in the bush. Whatever the rebels made you do. We know that you were abducted. You didn’t join them and you would never be part of them. You quickly jumped the layibi. You stepped on the egg, slashing its egg yolk. You were clean…”

“Ma never spoke of the butterflies again. We never heard of the butterfly dreams anymore. We wanted the butterflies to come and say something to Ma,” goes the narration.

“You spoke in your dreams. You turned and tossed in your mud bed. We held your hands. You were like a woman in labour. You spoke of ghosts. You spoke of rebels chasing you in Adilang because you tried to escape. You spoke of Akello, your friend, who they made you and your team beat to death because she tried to escape. You said you didn’t want to kill her. …You said you saw Akello covered with sticks. You saw the blood in her mouth. You watched as the older rebels checked to confirm that she was dead. You nauseated. You tried to vomit but there was nothing to let out…”

“…we listened to you curse under your breath. We watched you tremble when you heard the government fighting planes flying over Katikati. We knew that you were worried about the people you left behind. We knew that you knew what would go on when the planes went after the rebels. We didn’t ask you for stories…”

The story ends with Lamunu back at a primary school of formerly abducted children to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

A US based Zimbabwean author, NoViolet Bulawayo won the 2011 Caine Prize beating over 120 writers to the converted continental award with her short story ‘Hitting Budapest’ from ‘The Boston Review’ Vol. 35, no. 6 - Nov/Dec 2010.

The Caine Prize, widely known as the ‘African Booker’ and regarded as Africa’s leading literary award, is now in its twelfth year. It is awarded to a work (a short story) by an African writer published in English, whether in Africa or elsewhere.

Lamwaka was the third Ugandan to be shortlisted after Doreen Baingana and Monica Arach de Nyeko, who won the prize in 2007 for a story, “Jambula Tree” from ‘African Love Stories,’ published by Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2006.

Lamwaka has published a number of poems and short stories in different Uganda Women’s Writers Association (FEMRITE) anthologies including her latest story “The Hair Cut” in the anthology Never Too Late. She is currently is working on her first novel whose title keeps changing. Her short memoir, “The Market Vendor,” was published by PMS 9, University of Alabama, USA, 2010. Her poems have also been published in various anthologies.

Ends.

A New Collection of Wisdom Published in Uganda

BOOK REVIEW
TITLE: THE MINDS OF ACHIEVERS
AUTHOR: GRACE MUGYENZI MUSIIME
PRINTER: MAKERERE UNIVERSITY PRINTERY (2011)
PAGES: 480
REVIEWED BY: BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI
BOOK COVER BY: ISMAIL KEZAALA

A NEW collection of maxims, proverbs, anecdotes and quotes titled, “The Minds of Achievers,” from some of the greatest men and women of all time in the world has been published in Uganda.

They include Nobel Prize winners, scientists, novelists, civil rights activists, great military strategists, great corporate leaders, leaders of great nations, among others.

From the ancient great thinkers to the contemporary world movers and shakers, The Minds of Achievers authored by Mr. Grace Mugyenzi Musiime offers a complete, comprehensive selection of the world’s most inspirational and profound witticisms.

This special selection of over 3,000 enduring quotations is a treasure house of penetrating wisdom, and most brilliant thoughts; gleaned from the writings and teachings of the world’s greatest minds. It also has quotations by unknown sources.

It is recommended for those aspiring for achievement, leadership, career excellence, personal development, management and sports, among others.

Compared to a dictionary of quotations this book is arranged alphabetically theme by theme to give the reader a quotation that he/she needs. The 72 themes include; ambition, change, character, courage, determination, enthusiasm, failure, faith, generosity, happiness, hope, humility, inspiration, integrity, leadership, truth, wisdom and vision, among others.

Besides lacking an index the shortcoming of this book is that it does not carry ancient African wisdom that forms part of the African philosophy and experience.

The former British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli rightly said, “The wisdom of the wise and the experience of ages may be preserved by quotation.”

“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something,” Plato said.

Jamie Paolinetti said, “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imagination, our possibilities become limitless.”

“When you believe and think “I can,” you activate your motivation, commitment, confidence, concentration and excitement – all of which relate directly to achievement,” said, Dr. Jerry Lynch.

Nido Qubein said, “Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.”

“A journey of 1,000 miles must begin with one step,” goes the ancient Chinese proverb.

The former prime minister of Great Britain, William E. Gladstone said, “No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.”

Carl Icahn said, “In life and business, there are two cardinal sins; the first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act at all.”

According to the Burmese saying, “Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it.”

“Fame is a vapor, popularity; an ancient, riches take wings. Only one thing endures, and that is character,” Horace Greeley said.

Aristotle said, “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor (honour).”

The American poet, lecturer and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

Bishop Desmond Tutu noted that, “Perhaps oppression dehumanizes the oppressor as much as, if not more than, the oppressed.”

“The measure of a man is what he does with power,” goes the Greek proverb. For Cornelius Nepos, “The power is detested, and miserable the life, of him who wishes to be feared rather than to be loved.”

“Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served,” Mahatma Gandhi noted.

According to Buddha, “Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.”

Mother Teresa said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

According to Dr. Dowling of the University of South Africa, “Most of what we say or write is forgotten. But occasionally, someone – a writer, a politician, an actor – says something that is remembered and quoted over and over again. These quotations enter the common body of wisdom and we are expected to know who said them or what the original context was. Also, in our writing, we may need to refer to these pithily expressed words.”

Over the years, Musiime has dedicated time to study biographies, speeches, articles and the best that has been said and written by great personalities and has since assembled a collection of powerful motivational and inspirational quotations that can change one’s life.

His collection began as a hobby way back during his high school days at Ntare School in western Uganda in the 1990s. But more importantly his experience with both young and old people as a lecturer has exposed him to different brilliant people with spectacular ideas but full of negative energy; inhibited by imaginary fears, a gap this book intends to fill.

He has also found out that successful people are ordinary individuals with average talent but who discipline themselves to do simple, small, incremental tasks that other people ignore, and do them extraordinarily well.

Musiime is a strategic management consultant, student and teacher. He holds a B.Com degree and a Master of Arts in Economic Policy Management degree both from Makerere University, where he is currently a lecturer of international finance and business strategy.

Ends.

YOUTH TAKE POETRY TO THE BONFIRE

IN OLD AFRICAN tradition, the fire place was used as an informal venue for elders to meet young people to pass on wise counsel and also tell stories. It was also a place for family, friends or clan members met for night celebrations. A group of youths has borrowed a leaf from this tradition and they hold the Bonfire Night every Wednesday at National Theatre in Kampala. Bonfire Uganda is a community based organization which uses visual and verbal art forms for the integration of a diverse cultural heritage worldwide. It is a podium for self-expression with no rules or restrictions and everyone is welcome to share his or her talent be it singing, painting, poetry, storytelling or even dancing. The Executive Director of Bonfire Uganda, ABASS HASSAN MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM AMIN alas Ugly Emcee talked to BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI. Picture by Morgan Mbabazi. Excerpts:

Why the ‘name’ Ugly emcee?’

Well I decided to use this name for if meant so much to me. You know so many people see things in a negative way and even when you decide to freely express yourself you’re not considered to be fit thus an Ugly attitude towards you. In simplicity Ugly is basically the true definition of self esteem. It simply stands for you got to love yourself.

What motivated you to start Bonfire Uganda?

We wanted young people to share knowledge, skills and ideas and to interlink social information through arts and culture. Bonfire Uganda would then seek, enhance and maintain the freedom of conscience, expression, association, academic liberty, artistic liberty and all rights and privileges accruing to members by virtue of their humanity, age sex, status, citizenship and other relevant criteria thus promoting enjoyment of their freedom and rights as young people with a diverse cultural heritage, indigenous wisdom, values and skills.

What is the difference between Bonfire and that held in the traditional setting?

Bonfire is all about young people freely expressing themselves regardless of their race, tribe, citizenship and denomination through a platform. – Bonfire Nite with the Art of poetry, music, dance, acrobatics and so much talent for a positive social change. It’s all about peer to peer counseling through art and culture unlike in the traditional setting where the young people were only trained to listen to the elders.

Nevertheless in this urban world today, there are so many young people and due to different cultures coming together then Bonfire is the good way to go for they can now freely shave their ‘fires’ (ideas) with each other. Otherwise Bonfire only makes a new traditional Bonfire into this generation unlike in the traditional Bonfire where cultures and values are passed to the next generation to keep it moving.

What is the future for Bonfire?

Bonfire Uganda will be the sole linkage of adverse culture heritage Worldwide with young people from all continents sharing their ideas and knowledge through Art and culture at the Bonfire International Art Festival.

Have you noticed enthusiasm among Ugandans for Bonfire? Or do you think they prefer live music performances, television and cinema?

Of cause yes because it is so interesting educative and entertaining however some people who are busy and can’t come to the nite, prefer watching if on television, DVD, or listening. We are now working on a TV show for the Bonfire dubbed Bonfire Swagga.

Among the Bonfire presentations what interests Ugandans the most? Why?

The music. Most especially rap music which is poetic and the art of dance for instance break dancing, popping and locking because they can freely express themselves in these forms of art and their fans too like them very much.

What have been your major achievements?

We are improving on the inter-cultural relation locally, regionally and internationally. Bonfire Uganda has built a platform for poets, story tellers, acrobats, hip-hop among others on a weekly basis. It is also bridged the gap between the advantage and disadvantaged. Bonfire has also established a collaborative relationship with various Cultural organizations like the Uganda National Cultural Centre and Alliance Francaise Kampala.

Ends.

TOTEMS IMMORTALIZED FOR CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION

BY BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI

THE FASCINATING culture of totemism in Uganda has been immortalized by Taga Nuwagaba, through a collection of paintings of the animals, insects and plants, and history under the title, “Me and My Totem.”

As a study of totems and clans in Uganda the collection employs the realism art form to convey the message.

As to what motivated him in starting the totem project, he told me that: “I was motivated by the fact that most people who have totems have never interfaced with them… Secondly, the fact that totems are a powerful instrument that turns people into voluntary conservationists, it is important to focus on this positive culture that would help the conservation process. We need environmental warriors to help. Local communities therefore have a duty and this is one good channel we can use to engage them participate actively.”

“I have created a website: www.mytotem.co.ug. I am sure this will help people learn more. I will be putting on more data as I collect it,” Nuwagaba, a local artist says.

“The most important benefit of this project is to educate Ugandans on what I think is on the verge of getting lost. The other benefit is conservation of wildlife and preservation of culture,” Nuwagaba says.

“…I can now gladly say that our totems have been immortalized and let us use this opportunity to teach our young generation the things that bound us to our ancestors and how we can use them positively today to make and build a better society and nation,” Prince David Wasajja of Buganda said.

A totem is an animal, plant, or natural object (or representation of an object) that serves as the emblem of a clan or family among a tribal or traditional people, Peter Magelah notes in his article “Environmental anthropology, Animals and society and Wildlife management.”

A totem represents a mystical or ritual bond of unity within the group. In prehistoric societies, totems were key symbols of religion and social cohesion; they were also important tools for cultural and educational transmission, Magelah adds.

“Totems were often the basis for laws and regulations. In some African societies, for example, it was a violation of cultural and spiritual life to hunt, kill or hurt an animal or plant totem. This attitude may have been the basis of environmental laws and regulations that existed in such societies. However, this worldview changed with cultural, economic and technological developments; today, totems are as scarce as the traditional societies that use them,” Magelah writes.

In his book titled, “Luganda Names, Clans and Totems,” Nsimbi Michael Bazzebulala notes that clan names probably form the largest of the six classes into which Buganda traditional personal names can be divided. These classes are as follows: Proverbial; titles and occupational; descriptive and circumstantial; military; religious; and clan.

“When clan names are examined critically, it becomes clear that many of them came from old proverbs which are well known. The key word in a proverb was usually taken out as the personal name without the initial vowel,” Bazzebulala adds.

According to Bazzebulala, other clan names began as nicknames of all kinds. A good many clan names were derived from people’s occupations and from the implements they used. The hills and other natural features found in and around places where heads of clans and heads of clan subdivisions made their permanent settlements turned out to be clan names, for instance, rocks, stones, caves, water-holes, springs, swamps, quagmires, landing places on lakes and rivers, forests, and so forth.

“Protective and defensive weapons also helped to swell the number of clan names, such as sticks, spears, and shields. Names of the main houses in patriarchal establishments could also become clan names of particular lineages,” Bazzebulala writes.

“A large proportion of the old popular clan names present puzzles. They cannot be interpreted to give meaning, and it is possible that such names came from languages that have long been dead. It is interesting that some Baganda clan names are also used as personal names in some other parts of Uganda and possibly outside it. It is unlikely that such resemblance is a mere coincidence. It most probably indicates some ethnic relationship which has been somewhat overlaid by tribal movements…,” Bazzebulala adds.

“From the time clan names cane (came) into vogue the tradition has been for each clan to have a set of names, male and female, for its members. However, there has always been some deviation from usually ask the question, “Why do we sometimes find someone called by a well-known name of a clan to which he does not belong?” The answer is that some clan names are shared by more than two clans. There are several reasons for this: Embodiment of the dead (okubbula), friendly neighborhood, proverbs, massacres, splitting of clans and preference,” Bazzebulala adds.

For a proper understanding of the culture however, it is important to distinguish between the totem and the clan. However, it should be understood that there is a difference between a clan and a totem where by a clan is a matter of genealogy and it is through the clan that the Baganda trace their ancestry well as a totem is just a symbol to represent the clan. Although the two are intimately associated with one another, they are in fact different. Names are given depending on one’s clan and it’s a taboo for a Muganda to eat his or her clan whether its food, fresh meat, vegetables, fish or fruits.

According to Magelah, there is no properly documented evidence concerning the origins of totemism; however, it could have begun when humans started living in organized communities. Many anthropologists believe that totem use was a universal phenomenon among early societies. Pre-industrial communities had some form of totem that was associated with spirits, religion and success of community members. Early documented forms of totems in Europe can be traced to the Roman Empire, where symbols were used as coats of arms, a practice which continues today.

Most African chiefs decorated their stools and other items with their personal totems, or with those of the tribe or of the clans making up the larger community. It was a duty of each community member to protect and defend the totem. This obligation ranged from not harming that animal or plant, to actively feeding, rescuing or caring for it as needed. African tales are told of how men became heroes for rescuing their totems. This has continued in some African societies, where totems are treasured and preserved for the community’s good.

“In Africa, totemism still plays a significant role in community bonding, but few scholars have examined its role in the development of environmental protection,” Magelah notes. “…In most traditional African cultures, it was illegal to kill or hurt a totem. …To hurt a totem was tantamount to hurting the community's ancestors. Severe punishments, such as banishment, fines, hard labor, or death, were applied to anyone who disrespected their totem.”

Totemism can lead to environmental protection due to the fact that many tribes have multiple totems. For example, over 100 plant and animal species are considered totems among the Banyoro and Batooro (omuziro), Baganda (omuzilo) tribes in Uganda; a similar number of species are considered totems among tribes in Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).

“The clan system was quite significant because it united members to help each other and for protection in times of war. Clans were exogamous and restricted incest. A member of one clan had to get a wife of another clan to avoid in-breeding and expand social networks, Nuwagaba says.

Buganda being a patriarch society, when a woman got married, she adopted her husband’s totem and retained hers at the same time. So in each household, there were four principal totems held sacred and four secondary ones. The head of the family’s totem came first followed by his wife’s totem. The totem of the mother to the head of the family too was respected and much as there was no emphasis on the wife’s mother, that totem too was in the picture. These four major totems and their minor ones made a total of eight symbols making a huge impact on conservation, Nuwagaba notes.

According to Buganda kingdom, a clan in Buganda represents a group of people who can trace their lineage to a common ancestor and it is central to the Ganda culture. In the customs of Buganda, lineage is passed down along the same lines and the most important unit in Buganda's culture is the clan. In the beginning, there were five original clans referred to as “Banansangwa” simply meaning “the indigenous clans” and they are: Ffumbe (African Civet), Lugave (Pangolin), Ngonge (Otter), Njaza (Bohor Reedbuck) and Nnyonyi (Egret).

The clan in Buganda forms a large extended family. Members of the same clan regard each other as brothers and sisters regardless of how far they are in terms of actual blood ties. A formal introduction of a Muganda includes his own names, the names of his father and paternal grandfather, as well as a description of the family's lineage within the clan that it belongs to.

The clans are organized in a way that the clan leader is at the top (Ow’akasolya), followed by successive subdivisions called the ssiga, mutuba, lunyiriri and finally at the bottom the individual family unit (Enju). Every Muganda is required to know where he/she falls within each of these subdivisions.

It is a curious fact that the clans are not known by the names of the respective clan founders but instead totems were adopted by the clans. Each clan has a main totem (Omuziro) and a minor totem (akabbiro). The clans are usually known by the main totem and they are listed above by that totem.

The royal clan (Abalangira) is a unique exception in that it has no totems because it follows the maternal lineage. This maternal system helps the Kingship of Buganda to revolve from clan to clan as different women from various clans marry into the royal family. This therefore means that all clans eligible to marry from this Royal clan have a potential to produce a king. In modern terms, it is a system that decentralized power.

Ends.

PRESIDENT OBAMA FAILING TO FIGHT KONY

PRESIDENT Barrack Obama has performed poorly in his recently-released strategy committing the U.S. to help civilians in Central Africa threatened by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a coalition of prominent civil society organizations conclude in the first report card released last month.

The U.S. President scores 60 per cent in the long-pronged initiative. However, the coalition argues that serious concerns remain about whether he is willing to dedicate the funding, senior leadership and political will to achieve a lasting end to the conflict. This first issue grades the content and initial rollout of Obama’s LRA Strategy Report Card, while future report cards will assess the strategy’s implementation and impact on the ground.

The Grading Rubric for Obama’s LRA Strategy and Implementation stands as follows: “A” for significant progress; “C” for little or inadequate progress; “F” for efforts backsliding; “B” for encouraging progress; “D” for Efforts at a standstill. The card is issued by four groups: Resolve, the Enough Project, Invisible Children and Citizens for Global Solutions. The coalition plans to release three report cards each year.

The expanded U.S. engagement strategy calls for the dedication significant new staff and resources; keep the Very Important Persons involved; and work with regional and international partners. Obama scores a “D.” This outlines in broad terms the need for interagency coordination within the U.S. government and greater collaboration with the UN, regional partners, the African Union and Europe.

However, Obama did not commit the necessary staff and resources for its implementation. “He should swiftly designate a Great Lakes envoy and dedicate more funding and resources to the crisis, and also encourage the African Union, France, and others to step up their commitments,” the groups suggest.

The protection of civilian’s strategy plans for massive expansion radio and mobile phone networks; improve the effectiveness of national militaries and UN peacekeepers; and ensure local voices are heard. Obama scores a “C.” This strategy highlights the expansion of telecommunications and early warning systems in LRA-affected areas as priority actions. It recognizes the need to increase the capacity and effectiveness of national militaries and peacekeepers in protecting civilians, focusing on increasing their mobility as another priority action.

“However, the U.S. has given little indication of what specific steps it will take to concretely improve the track record of military and peacekeeping forces or work with local communities to keep them safer,” the card notes.

The strategy on stopping senior LRA commanders calls for the apprehension of Joseph Kony and top LRA commanders; encourage LRA commanders to defect; and cut off external support to the LRA. Here Obama scores a “C.” The strategy commits to providing operational and intelligence support for efforts to apprehend senior LRA commanders, including Joseph Kony and those indicted by the ICC, and protect civilians from reprisal attacks. It also promises to ensure the LRA “receives no safe haven.”

“However, it relies on the Ugandan military to apprehend LRA commanders, despite strong indications that it is unable to do so and increasingly preoccupied with other priorities at home and in Somalia. There is little mention of how outreach specifically to senior LRA commanders can encourage them to defect,” the report says.

The strategy on facilitating escape is meant to help people escape from the LRA; and ensure those who escape can return home. Obama makes a “B.” The strategy outlines a comprehensive approach – encouraging escape from the LRA, transporting escapees safely home, and providing appropriate assistance to help them reintegrate into their communities. “The challenge is in implementation and the Administration will have to dedicate significant new resources to see progress on all three fronts,” the groups note.

The strategy on helping communities survive and rebuild is meant to find a way to reach people in need of emergency aid; increase aid to disrupted communities; and address the conflict’s root causes. Obama makes a “B.” This strategy outlines a comprehensive approach – providing emergency assistance, improving cross-border coordination and helping people return home if security improves. It also reiterates the U.S. commitment to reconstruction and transitional justice in northern Uganda. “To improve on this “B” grade, President Obama will need to dedicate significant new resources to implementing this approach in the coming months,” they suggest.

Obama released a strategy in November 2010, for the U.S. to engage with regional partners and assist in stopping violence perpetrated by the LRA in Central Africa and help communities affected by the conflict recover. This strategy was mandated by the bipartisan LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, the most widely-supported piece of Africa-specific legislation in recent U.S. history.

Michael Poffenberger, executive director of Resolve, a non-profit organization that supports ending LRA violence says, “This strategy came straight from President Obama’s desk and is a huge step forward for U.S. policy towards the crisis. If this blueprint is put into action, it will have a tremendous influence in improving safety for those living in the midst of LRA violence,” adding: “But President Obama will need assistance from Congress – in the form of continued political support and increased funding – for this strategy to succeed.”

The LRA, led by senior commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court, has plagued Central Africa for more than two decades. Since the September 2008 attacks orchestrated by LRA commanders have killed at least 2,300 people and abducted more than 3,000, including many children who were forced into being soldiers or sexual slaves. Another 400,000 civilians fled the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Southern Sudan, and Central African Republic. In 2010 alone, LRA rebels committed more than 240 deadly attacks.

According to David Sullivan, research director for the Enough Project: "It's time for the Obama administration to show it is serious about ending LRA violence against civilians. By committing senior staff and resources commensurate to the urgency of the crisis, the United States can help galvanize wider international action that has been absent for too long."

“We don’t want the President to lose sight of the promises he made in his LRA strategy,” said Don Kraus, CEO of Citizens for Global Solutions. “The U.S. must do everything in its capacity to help apprehend senior LRA commanders. I look forward to an ‘A’ grade on the next report card when these heinous criminals are standing trial in front of the International Criminal Court.”

“We want President Obama to remember the promises he made to the victims of the LRA and the hundreds of thousands of young activists who have rallied for this cause,” said Ben Keesey from Invisible Children. “We hope this report card will keep him on track.”

In a letter to President Obama, the groups also lay out four priorities for implementation of the strategy in the coming months: taking immediate steps to improve regional efforts to protect civilians, finding viable alternatives to the Ugandan military in apprehending or removing from the battlefield senior LRA commanders, expanding efforts to demobilize LRA commanders, and dedicating significant new staff and financial resources to implementing the strategy.

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The History of Popular Kikuyu Music Documented

Reviewed by Bamuturaki Musinguzi

A NEW CD complied and produced by Ketebul Music, an NGO based in Nairobi, Kenya, contains a sampling of Kikuyu popular music through several decades and genres. From the blending of the Karing’aring’a or traditional rattles with the accordion in the 1940s, to the imitation of yodeling and country and western guitar in the 1950s.

The nineteen tracks are songs about love lost and love found; personal sacrifice in the struggle for independence; traditions altered and abandoned with the adoption of urban living; the challenges of survival in a money economy; songs in praise of honesty and hard work. Songs about life.

The narrative booklet, music CD and documentary DVD titled, “Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music,” will be launched later this month in Nairobi. This is a non-commercial venture and all the proceeds from this multimedia package will go into further research, development and documentation of East African music.

Sammy Ngaku’s 1948 love song ‘Rosanna’ praising a lady called Rosanna, sung in the yodeling style of early country and western music.

Mwangi wa Maguru’s 1957 song ‘Ndinakuruma’ is about a jilted lover’s advice to his girl friend. He bemoans the fact that she has left him and succumbed to immorality in the big city. He urges her to shun her evil ways and get back to decent living. All in good faith. Ndinakuruma: ‘I have not insulted you.’

Roman Warigi’s 1962 song ‘Kunda Ruru’ is about a carefree drunkard singing of his drinking prowess, proclaiming that he has enough money to buy himself several rounds. If he gets drunk he will just lie down where he is, fall asleep, and start drinking again as soon as he gets up in the morning!

In his 1966 song, ‘Ndari Ikumi na Inya,’ Joseph Kamaru advises young men to be wary of promiscuous young as an example. He discovered to his horror, that when she called him ‘ndari’ or ‘darling’ he was in fact one of fourteen, hence the song’s title.

In his 1979 song ‘Rugano Rwa Naivasha,’ SK Kimani narrates to his friend Jimmy how he was raised on the shores of Lake Naivasha by his parents, who were fishermen. He tells Jimmy how he met a girl called Jane and the woes he faced when he was knifed in the ribs by a jealous lover. By the grace of God he survived the attack and decided to go back home to Naivasha to be comforted by his father and mother.

Roman Warigi’s 1962 song ‘Muhiki’ is a tragicomic tale of a prospective groom who writes a letter inviting his ex-girl friend to his wedding only to panic at the last moment when he finds the ex more alluring that his chosen bride. Angry and betrayed the ex declares she will never speak to him again. His belated request to the preacher to wed him to both women is flatly denied!

This multimedia production is a must collection for those interested in how African rhythms and styles have been merged with western instruments.

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