| Kadongo Kamu | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Baganda Music |
| Cultural origins | Mid 1960s, Kampala Uganda |
| Typical instruments | Bass guitar, Vocals |
Kadongo Kamu is a music genre native toUganda and is the oldest mainstream music genre in the country. The word "kadongo kamu" is a term in theGanda language that means "one little guitar".[1]
Perhaps the first well-known artist of the genre wasFred Masagazi in the 60's. Masagazi is considered by many to be the father of kadongo kamu. His brand of educative singing won him many fans and he was one of the few musicians who was involved with Uganda's independence in 1962.Elly Wamala was another of the founders. Elly Wamala is credited with the invention of this genre but abandoned it because it was constantly and easily played informally by people he considered uneducated. It is common to find kadongo kamu artists staged on the streets of Kampala (Uganda's Capital City) entertaining a micro concert for a small fee usually raised by the crowd. The grandfather of this genre though is widely regarded to be Christopher Ssebaduka who last performed in 1996. Fred Masagazi and Eclas Kawalya are credited for having popularized it by actively recording in this genre in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were followed by a number of musicians who stayed true to the style and sound of the music. In the mid to late 1970s, during the dark days of Idi Amin, this genre was kept alive by Peterson Mutebi. Although many song themes revolve around suffering and outrage, the original artists of this genre sang about love and often praised women in recordings that hardly exceeded three and a half minutes.Herman Basudde was a very popular kadongo kamu musician in the 80's and 90's.
Dan Mugula is one of the few surviving pioneers of the genre.Fred Sebatta andPaulo Kafeero made their mark in the 90's. Over the past decade, there have been other musicians, but they have been overshadowed by pop musicians in the new bustlingpop music scene. Today, the genre is still marginalized, but the music is loved by cultural loyalists in theBuganda region, as can be seen with current musicians likeFred Sebaale andMathias Walukagga, who are still enjoying music success.
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