Search - Bernard Kabanda :: Olugendo

Bernard Kabanda plays kadongo kamu, a popular Ugandan musical style (although not much known in the West), and it's quite a delight. Mixing the guitar picking of Kenya with the laid-back palm-wine song style, the music is propelled by lightly percolating rhythms, either on the guitar, or added by Samuel Bakkabalindi on shaker. Between two voices, a guitar, and a seed-filled gourd, Kabanda and Bakkabalindi manage to create something wonderful. Kabanda can be both compassionate and funny in his songs, with the kind of warm voice that just lures you in, while his playing keeps you spellbound. There's nothing elaborate here (indeed, kadongo kamu translates as "just a small guitar"), but it's perfect proof that it's people who make glorious music, not technology. --Chris Nickson