Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Singing Wells Spotlight shines a light on the music of different groups across East Africa.
After a late night at a concert, we got up early and drove to Victoria Park to record Umoja Wa Kusini, lead by Francis Daudi Njawa (Chichi). Victoria Park is similar to a park we used in Kampala. It contains many village huts built in many styles. Umoja Wa Kusini is about 13 years old and is a very experienced dance troupe of the Mdomdu style.
They are originally from the village of Msanga and the Wanyamwezi. All the dancers wear a necklace called Simbi, made of cowry shells and a ‘skirt’ around the waist called a Kibwaya. Their smaller drums are Dali Dali and larger drums are Mapipa. They also use the marimba. They played 9 songs, 5 regular performances and four ‘magic moments’:
Mkwaju Ngoma: actually four songs in one. About a child going back to his village after a while and being accepted.
Rushwa: about harvests, but also uses a metaphor of a broken chicken leg to say that even if love is broken, it will mend, the ‘girlfriend will come back.’
Rushwa Magic Moment 1: just vocals
Magic Moment 2: percussion
Malalanga: this is about being quiet because a performance is starting
Magic Moment 3: Francis singing ‘Alelewani’ solo.
Alelewani with full group
Mikocheni Makongwe Malowe
Magic Moment 4: Daudi Fernando Joseph plays the drums in style of Mzee Morris
For the full videos, please check out our Youtube channel.
Singing Wells Spotlight shines a light on the music of different groups across East Africa.
After a late night at a concert, we got up early and drove to Victoria Park to record Umoja Wa Kusini, lead by Francis Daudi Njawa (Chichi). Victoria Park is similar to a park we used in Kampala. It contains many village huts built in many styles. Umoja Wa Kusini is about 13 years old and is a very experienced dance troupe of the Mdomdu style.
They are originally from the village of Msanga and the Wanyamwezi. All the dancers wear a necklace called Simbi, made of cowry shells and a ‘skirt’ around the waist called a Kibwaya. Their smaller drums are Dali Dali and larger drums are Mapipa. They also use the marimba. They played 9 songs, 5 regular performances and four ‘magic moments’:
Mkwaju Ngoma: actually four songs in one. About a child going back to his village after a while and being accepted.
Rushwa: about harvests, but also uses a metaphor of a broken chicken leg to say that even if love is broken, it will mend, the ‘girlfriend will come back.’
Rushwa Magic Moment 1: just vocals
Magic Moment 2: percussion
Malalanga: this is about being quiet because a performance is starting
Magic Moment 3: Francis singing ‘Alelewani’ solo.
Alelewani with full group
Mikocheni Makongwe Malowe
Magic Moment 4: Daudi Fernando Joseph plays the drums in style of Mzee Morris
For the full videos, please check out our Youtube channel.
