Peter Cooke Uganda Collection

Bulasio Busuulwa was a member of the Kabaka''''s band of flute players ''''abalere ba Kabaka'''' until 1964 when he became instrument maker and teacher of traiditional instruments, firstly at Makerere College School and later at the National Teachers'''''''''''''''' College, Kyambogo, now Kyambogo University. He was a most able musician, knew a huge repertory of royal songs and played fluently all of the six different sizes of flutes that made up the consort of flutes which performed in the palace and at royal ceremonies along with a singer and three or four drummers. The flute Enkologi is the largest of the set and consequntly the most difficult to play. On this particular tape he worked methodically with all six different flutes recording a number of ''''''''royal'''''''' songs. Ssematimba and Kikwabanga were two wealthy royal princes, killed on the same day in a battle. The song is often sung at funerals and occasions concerned with death - its moral is essentially about our mortality and that we cannot take our earthly treasures with us when we die. The famous Muganda musician Everisto Muyinda relates the story of Ssematimba and Kikwabanga on the Topic CD The King''''''''s Musicians which was published in association with the International Music Collection and along with many other versions of this song is available for listening from the Peter Cooke Collection.

Posted by Peter Cooke, Honorary Fellow, University of Birmingham on 25/05/2009 12:39:00