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Fusion of traditions set to thrill music lovers
FUSION: Sebunjo blends various music traditions to produce a unique experience.
At just 25 years of age, Joel Sebunjo has already been equated with one of Africa’s greatest music icons, Youssou N’dour. And that is a great achievement for a musician who is barely appreciated at home but has shared a stage with artistes like Salif Keita, Oliver Mtukudzi, the late Miriam Makeba and Youssou N’dour himself.
With one foot firmly rooted in the Griot (a West African poet, praise singer, and wandering musician) traditions of the Ganda and Mande (West Africa) and another in urban world sounds, Sebunjo is ready to stamp his musical authority in Uganda.
In his new production, I Speak Luganda, due this weekend, Sebunjo and his Sundiata group will woo fans with the beautiful fusion of the kora and lyrics - a true fusion of traditions!
I speak Luganda is in appreciation of the language he grew up speaking.
“Many people believe that I am purely Senegalese, so I am always saying, ‘But no, I speak Luganda.’”
That does not mean that the concert is entirely in Luganda though. According to Sebunjo, there are songs in Wolof (Senegal), Mandinka (Gambia and Guinea) and Bambara (Mali).
Although his main instrument is the Kora, Sebunju has crafted the art of playing other instruments like the traditional eight-stringed bow lyre commonly known as endongo, the drums, xylophone, kalimba, thumb piano (akogo) and tube fiddle (endingidi).
“As a young person, I travelled to Europe a lot where I met different musicians from West Africa. I fell in love with their music and instruments,” he says of his interest in the Kora.
“Later I decided to bring them here and fuse those ideas with our traditional ones.”
Recently nominated for the International Song Writing Competition (ISC) World Music Award alongside the Soweto Gospel Choir (SA), Sebunjo is pleased that some people are appreciating afro-fusion.
The concert is live at Ndere Centre auditorium for only Shs30,000.
