Dance and culture in Uganda: Uganda has been described as the “Pearl of Africa” owing to its beautiful physical features, animal life, and cultural people. Some of the tribes include the Baganda, Banyankole, Bachwezi, Batoro, Basoga, Babiito, Bagisu, Banyakole, and Banyakara, among others and each of these tribes has its own language, culture, and way of life. The culture and social life in Uganda is quite alive and there are so many things that one can do as regards arts, music and traditions. Anyone who has an idea of Uganda’s traditional music would be quick to identify the Amakondere commonly known as the kamikonde musical bow. But what one may not know is that the music of Uganda is as rich as the culture and every tribe has its own way of instruments, beats, and dancing that is linked to certain events. Buganda kingdom is one of the most beautiful regions in Uganda with a great musical background as far as traditional instruments are concerned. If you are lucky you will one day see a group of Baganda dancing the traditional dance known as ekitagururo. Not less or even more rich than the material resources of Uganda are the spiritual endowments of the nation’s ethnic groups.
It is for this reason therefore that to fully understand the culture of Uganda, there is nothing quite like attending the cultural events. It is impossible to attend these events and not be immersed in music, dance, and food, especially food, which in its unlimited variety and most often tastefully presented, gives one a taste of the culture of these events. The Buganda Cultural Festival that takes place every year in Kampala is a clear illustration of this. It delivers a one or two day dose of Baganda’s music and dance, and yummy prepared and presented food, miming a Buganda style feast. The festival and its (sometimes multilingual) announcers do a good job of explaining the history of the Ganda Kingdom (or Buganda), the part of Ugandan culture in which the Ndere Cultural Center in Kampala is also involved.
Music and dance are undoubtedly two cultural practices that are very hard to do without in Uganda. Different ethnic groups have different music styles, musical instruments and dances. Drums, flutes, and stringed instruments are used in Uganda’s traditional music; they include the endongo, a type of lyre, and the adungu, a large harp. Ugandan music cannot be complete without drums as they form the backbone and are used in many ceremonies, celebrations, and rituals. Nanga is a string instrument used in telling stories; Amakonde, a flute is used in dances and the Bakiga people dance the ‘Agaba’ during harvest time. All the dances described are meaningful and artistic. It tells a story that often depicts the daily routine in life, the culture of the performers’ society, the struggle they may go through, and the joyful occasions for performing, which is part of people’s lives in Uganda.
The art scene in Uganda is not as cold as one would expect it to be. The handicrafts are still preserved to this date. When you are privileged to visit areas in Uganda where traditional hand crafts are still being made you are always amaze at the beauty of the items they make. Ceramics is a form of art that people have been practicing for years especially in the rural areas. Women gather and make pots that are used in handling food, storing food and also for beautification of the society. The designs – I don’t even know where to begin with that. The appearance of Ugandan pots is quite appealing due to the beautiful designs that are done on them. They are covered with patterns that you will not be able to find in other similar products.
The various parts of Uganda have their unique fooding culture and delicacies; therefore, Uganda is a foodie’s paradise. The meals are usually prepared and made of fresh local produce. The cornerstone of Ugandan cuisine is the same regardless of the region: these include matoke, posho or sweet potatoes as the staple source of carbohydrate. Matoke a green banana that is locally grown particularly in Uganda is normally cooked and swallowed with meat or sauce. Another starchy dish which is also taken with stew is Posho, which is prepared from planting corn grains. Ugandan meals also do not fail to include beans, groundnuts, and anykind of vegetable that is in season. Groundnut sauce is common. Some of the most common traditional meals are; Luwombo which is a stew. Another among the favorite is Rolex; it is usually sold as a street food.
Great cultural experience can be expected in Uganda. Festivals are a major part of the country’s calendar and so are traditional performances and the local interpretation of music, which means great orchestras. Through traveling around Uganda one can attend cheerful celebrations, find interesting interlocutors for conversation, and see their beautiful (the craft here is stunning; some items will leave you speechless!) and, above all, delicious (the food here is quite good, travelers say) culture. Before your departure to Uganda, ensure that you plan your time so that you can have an inter- cultural encounter with the people you are going to meet in the society. To understand how warm, friendly and how much live they put in the show, one has to watch it.
