Ugandan artists mix new beat for cultural exchanges

KAMPALA－Strong African beats fused with Chinese melodies is the latest genre Ugandan artists are promoting to strengthen the people-to-people ties with China.

For more than a month, the artists have been practicing Chinese popular songs as they seek to reach out to a Chinese audience.

Clad in African traditional wear, playing African music instruments but bellowing out Chinese tunes, the artists sing about patriotism and love.

John Bosco Katende, the group's trainer, says that practicing singing in Chinese was difficult at first, but with persistence, the musicians were able to get the notes right.

"It is a new experience because of the language," Katende says. "And Musically, it is the same, the Chinese are using the pentatonic scale, while Ugandans generally use the diatonic scale."

He adds that "music is the same language, so it is easy to find that some notes can be shared between the African and Asian styles. So it was easy using music knowledge." He was speaking as the group did a recording session at the National Theater, also known as the Uganda National Cultural Center.

Katende, who has been a trainer for the last 20 years, says he believes that the group can now comfortably perform on a Chinese stage as well as with Chinese performers.

"We are looking forward to exchanging the art, Ugandans going to China and Chinese coming here," he says.

Florence Nakijoba, a Chinese language teacher, says it was easy for the musicians to quickly grasp what she taught them. Nakijoba, who was part of a Ugandan government program to train Mandarin teachers for secondary schools, was in charge of teaching the musicians the various songs and their meaning.

The musicians performed, among others, the Chinese national anthem, a children's song Chun Tian Zai Na Li, a patriotic song Wan Jiang, a Chinese New Year song Gong Xi Fa Cai, and a love song Tian Mi Mi.

Josephine Mugerwa, one of the performers and also a popular musician, says that China is one of the fastest developing countries in the world and therefore strengthening ties with such a country, not only economically or politically, but also socially, must be explored.

"We are trying to strengthen the friendship between Uganda and China. China has been in a good relationship with Uganda for some time, when it comes to trade, but this time we want to do it socially through music. It feels good when you see another person from another country singing your music," she says.

"We are promoting patriotism, we want to promote Uganda in China－that is why you see us singing Chinese songs, but we are wearing Ugandan outfits," she adds.

Mugerwa says through music the Chinese and Ugandan people can be brought together for the good of both communities.

Sam Okello, chairperson of the board of trustees of UNCC, says there are several lessons to learn from China, especially at a time when perceived modernity is threatening indigenous cultures.

"The strength of China stems from the people. China lived as a closed community for a long time, and by the time it opened to the world, everything was done according to the cultural values of China," Okello says.

He says although modernity is good, it can also be negatively disruptive, especially among young people who may adopt it and forget their traditional values.

Okello argues that nations grow based on their cultural values, adding that Chinese culture is what has helped China advance and develop.

Xinhua