The instruments you see on stage during a performance aren’t the kinds you can pick up from your local music store. Each one has been handmade in Uganda, specifically for Spirit of Uganda. Despite the beauty and durability of these instruments, the materials used are deceptively simple: typically they’re made of little more than wood, animal hides, the rubber from tires, and nails. From those four “ingredients,” you get all the incredible music you hear on stage.
The bases for the drums are carved out of a single piece of wood and wrapped with cow skin. Wooden pegs are driven into cow hide on the side of the drum to generate an exact pitch when you strike the drum. It takes a team of several people more than two hours to tune the drums — and they need to be retuned regularly throughout the tour.
The adungus (traditional guitars) and embaire (xylophones) are also hand-made from same local materials. For example the piece of equipment used during the Bwola dance, is made from bicycle spokes bound together by tire rubber, and being played against a calabash (a dried gourd).
There are 14 different costumes used in each performance. Every costume is hand-sewn by Mary Nakito, a local tailor, from a single piece of cloth, to fit each of the 22 performers. The talented Ms. Nakito comes to the training center each day and quietly works away in the corner while the children rehearse. She measures each child and then sits at her foot peddle sewing machine — that’s right: it’s manual — to stitch together the beautiful outfits you see on stage.
Each of the sights and sounds of the final product you’re treated to on stage have been carefully crafted in Africa. You can’t get this stuff in stores.
Check out more photos of Spirit of Uganda instruments and costumes.
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Posted by: Ajf 6 | July 17, 2010 at 01:08 AM
Thank you for the excellent blog. We wait and watch for every entry!
We were wondering about the musicians. Do they come to the Spirit of Uganda already playing their instrument?
Posted by: Amelia & Monica | March 23, 2008 at 10:25 AM