Episode 15 of the TIMEZONES podcast series, co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut. This episode offers insight into the uncompressed music scene in Kampala, Uganda. It looks into the evolution of (underground) club culture and shows how house parties contributed so much to create the roots of feeling safe and a support system in the music community. It further discusses the importance of the Nyege Nyege label and festival that has gained massive international attention lately.

Producer’s Note

Many thriving DJs and producers have come out of Kampala’s underground music scene in the past few years. In this podcast episode, we invite our fellow music producers and DJs to share their processes of music production and explain how the city inspires their creativity.

Kampala is a beautiful city surrounded by Lake Victoria and its nature that brings a certain level of peace amidst chaos. We recorded the podcast in the city, relating to the sounds in our surroundings, and how each of the artists connect to different aspects of the city, such as noise, the people, and its environment.

Uganda is a socially conservative, majority Christian and Muslim country. To see the momentum of artists expressing themselves in a free create form is very impressive. We look into the growth of Kampala in the past decade. There’s a lot more light on the music scene now than before. The momentum comes from the multiple cultures that bring along unique sounds that evolve in this creativity space, and there’s a lot of room to be inspired and learn.

Over the years, Kampala has become a global incubator of sounds. We see artists from the diaspora and East African community gaining interest in exploring the city and doing residencies at Nyege Nyege studios (Villa) which has harbored collaborations among artists.

It’s such a beautiful opportunity to bring you into our evolving music scene in East Africa. We hope you enjoy it.

Credits

A podcast by Turkana

Co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut

Featuring: Authentically Plastic, DJ Flo, Martin Kanja, Nsasi, Rey Sapienz

Sound Design: Turkana and Rey Sapienz

Includes a bonus talk, moderated and produced by Gloria Kiconco, featuring Nsasi

Artistic Editor: Abhishek Mathur
Project Management: Hannes Liechti
Video Trailer: Karrl
Jingle Voiceover: Nana Akosua Hanson
Jingle Mix: Daniel Jakob
Mastering: Adi Flück, Centraldubs
Artwork: Šejma Fere
Copy Editing: Kathrin Hadeler

→ Full transcript of episode 15

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→ Listen to further TIMEZONES episodes

Featured Artists

Authentically Plastic is a DJ, producer, and artist based in Kampala, Uganda. Their sound is necessarily political. Dubbed «Demon of the Nile» by conservative Ugandan media and politicians, Authentically Plastic has never shied away from disrupting norms and expectations. They run a roving, riotous club night in Kampala called Anti Mass which opens space for femme, queer, and experimental artists in an increasingly repressive social climate. Risk-taking in this political environment informs Authentically Plastic’s sound, which has an accelerated, densely layered, improvisational feel. Their sets, at once dark and playful, use gqom, vogue, and techno as a base for exploring other unknown sounds. Their music is influenced by anything from quasi-electronic Northern Ugandan rhythms, to early acid experiments and Afrofuturism. Follow them on Instagram, Twitter, or SoundCloud.

DJ Flo is a mysterious DJ/producer/multi-instrumentalist and one third of HHY & the Kampala Unit where she plays the trumpet. Flo aka Florence Lugemwa is involved as a ghetto activist in her hometown (Kampala), where she teaches kids and founded a brass band with them. She did one of her very first public appearances as a DJ for Nyege Nyege Festival in 2020, live on NBS (festival take-over on Ugandan national TV) and turned the crowd on fire with her set that she spiced up MC-ing on improv and drove the party into madness. DJing is a skill she honed over the pandemic and is already excelling at, tipped to become one of the toughest DJs coming out of the Nyege crew since DJ Kampire. Follow her on Instagram.

Martin Kanja is one half of the Kenyan experimental metal duo Duma. Kanja is known as an artist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Follow them on Instagram.

Nsasi’s daring sound embodies both a nostalgia for traditional rhythms/sound palettes, and an affinity for hyper-modern, disruptive compositions in which skittered fluxes of acid are able to collide with Kiganda percussion, or with East African trap. A fluid, compelling style bluntly dislocating the conventional and challenging the ordinary. Follow them on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or Bandcamp.

Rey Sapienz is born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo and first got in touch with the musical world in church choir. By age 12 he started performing as a rapper for the Independence Day of Congo. In 2002 he formed a band with Jay Dragon aka Hallyson with whom he would rap on Congolese soukous and perform in local shows. Rey was always involved with his community, and regularly organized writing workshops in youth centers. In 2012, after completing his studies, he traveled to Uganda for a collaboration with various producers from Kampala. As the war made it impossible for him to return to Congo, Rey Sapienz extended his stay in Uganda. Here he co-founded the Hakuna Kulala Label alongside Arlen Dilsizian and Derek Debru. In June 2017, he self-taught music production and within a year, released his first EP HAKUNA KULALA. Currently he is the artist liaison within Hakuna Kulala and also gives Ableton workshops to emerging new producers of Kampala. Follow him on SoundCloud or Instagram.

Bonus Talk

Nature, Nurture, Chaotic Inspiration
moderated and produced by Gloria Kiconco

Can Western-inspired media capture the true nature of the genre-bending music coming out of Kampala while also restricting it to categories? How does creativity thrive in a city where underground spaces are shrinking? In this bonus talk, Turkana and Nsasi, members of the Anti Mass collective share further thoughts on Turkana’s TIMEZONES episode from Kampala and delve into the relationship between media, music, and the compulsion to classify sound. They explore the push-pull dynamic they have with Kampala as a city where chaos is an ingredient in generating creativity and the reason artists seek nature and solitude outside the city. This talk, moderated by writer Gloria Kiconco, develops a portrait of the city as a resistant and nurturing space birthing «uncontrollable sound».

Gloria Kiconco is a poet, essayist, and zine-maker based in Kampala, Uganda. Gloria self-publishes and creates spoken word performances, readings, and audio compilations in collaboration with music producers. She was an inaugural Writer-in-Residence (2019) with Goethe Institut, Burkina Faso, and the inaugural poet-in-residence (2023) with the Poetry Library at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has published many poetry zine collections including SOLD OUT (2016), RETURN TO SENDER (2018) in collaboration with illustrator Liz Kobusinge, You Are Lost, You Are Here X (2020) and Tunnel of Delight (2021). As an arts journalist, Gloria prioritizes femme African and afro-diasporan artists. Her work appears online and in print with People Stories Project, Dazed Magazine, The Wire, and Perform! Her personal essays can be found on Adda and More of Us. Follow her via Instagram or Twitter.

Playlist

A selection of recent releases from Kampala’s prospering underground music scene, including artists from this TIMEZONES episode. «They represent the sound and the talent of my city», says playlist curator Turkana.

Trailer

by Karrl