The Source of Sound involves the material, the movement and the vibration of which music arises.
The music cassettes of Uganda.
Now that after the record the music cassette that Philips invented in 1963 is making a comeback as well, this Source of Sound is dedicated to recording medium the cassette, which made an important contribution to the existence of all kinds of local music genres for the last decades of the twentieth century. For the first time, musicians and small publishers could easily record and spread their music in limited amounts. The quality of sound was poor and the tape could get hopelessly tangled, but even in remote areas a battery-fueled cassette player could be found. For example in Uganda, the country featured in this broadcast.
Uganda was torn by war, terror and economic troubles, but still the cassette sales and copying sailed, mostly through shabby kiosk on intersections, buss stations and shopping areas. What was sold, mainly reflected local music of the region with just a small number of samples of famous Congolese, Kenyan and Reggae musicians.
In this broadcast, you can listen to the greats of Acholi nanga songs, Mallan and Ogwang Clipper, the Likembe bands of the Awach Boys, King Jazz and the Kiwanza Boys, Acholi’s from North Oeganda, the flowing Baganda rhythms of Florence Namirimu, the Uganda Professional Dances, the Kadongo Kamu pop music of Fred and Prossy Sebatta, and Alice Nabatta from Kampala.
01. Piny Oloyo Awobi 5’20
Composer/Performer Mallan
MC Dongo Lobo, a4
Akanyango Disco
02. Otoo Laneko 5’05
Composer/Performer Mallan
MC Dongo Lobo, b5
Akanyango Disco
03. Nyako Odoko Mukora 6’19
Composer/Performer Ogwang Clipper
MC Ogwang 04, b5
Akanyango Disco
04. Tabu Gani Franco 6’09
Awach Boys
MC Awach Boys, intro and B4
Akanyango Disco
05. Gulu District 6’43
Composer/Performer King jazz
MC King Jazz, intro and a4
Akanyango Disco
06. Gulu United FC 4’38
Comp./uitv. Kiwanza boys
MC Kiwansa Boys, a4
Akanyango Disco
07. Nabiraba Bulabi 10’28
Composer/Performer Florence Namirimu and the Kirabo United Guitarists
MC Tobunza Engaambo, a2
HK Studio HK 59
08. Seriingi Etagaza 11’00
Composer/Performer Uganda professional dancers
MC Emirembe Ngalo, b2
Fred Kasajja & sons Emporium , KSE 1954
09. Gumira ku Omu 7’00
Fred, Prossy Sebatta and Alice Nabatta with the Kadongo Kamu Super Singers
MC Etaala Y’obufumbo, b3
United Sound Srudio Ltd
Link to a pdf to Ugandan cassete collection of the American Van der Bilt University