2023-08-02 22:05:51
In Uganda, the collective Nyege Nyege (“ the irresistible urge to dance ”) in Luganda stands out in a musical landscape dominated by Afrobeat. In the Villa Nyege in Kampala, it is the alternative and especially electronic scenes from the region and the whole continent that are put forward. With one of the most popular music festivals in East Africa and two labels, the collective has become in a few years one of the strong voices of a new pan-African scene.
From our correspondent in Kampala,
In the studio, Rey Sapiens, a longtime artist from the Nyege Nyege collective and one of the residency managers, accompanies his student of the day on the production software: ” I give him the computer, he asks me questions, I show him how to make the beats, he is brave, he started, he will hold my attention. My role is to make music, but also to teach and encourage. »
Since the beginning of June, the Congolese rapper Willstone Sibamwenda has been working on his new album in the Nyege villa where the studios and a few rooms are located to accommodate the artists in residence, like him who was cChosen by the leaders of the collective to benefit from equipment and support in the production of new sounds. « I try to be creative, because with Nyege you can create a new style, because Nyege loves new things, so if you’re an artist, it gives you the chance to surpass yourself, to go deep you and bring out something that’s never come out before. »
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Since 2016, the Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala labels have produced around a hundred artists. Objective: to give a platform to the alternative scenes of the continent. Tanzanian singeli, northern Ugandan electro acholi or South African gqom. For the most recognized, a large part of the remuneration comes from tours around the world. « When these extreme electro sound productions started coming out, it forced people to reinterpret their idea of continental music, explains Arlen Dilsizian, one of the co-founders of Nyege Nyege. A lot of our artists are now involved full-time in their music, and we’re focused on making sure that when an album comes out, the artist goes on tour, so that there’s a sustainable source of income on the medium and long term. »
This year, artists are scheduled on more than 250 dates. Not to mention the Nyege Nyege festival scheduled for next November, which brings together more than 10,000 people in Uganda for each edition.
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