Royalist Music From Bugan [CD]

A comprehensive selection of music from professional musicians who once practiced their art at the Royal Courts of the Kingdom of Buganda, the southwestern part of the modern country of Uganda on the shores of Lake Victoria. Music was a very important part of Court life and no other African rulers maintained such a rich variety of musical ensembles. The Royal Courts and, indeed, the Kingdom itself was suppressed in 1966 when Milton Obote took over and consolidated the modern country of Uganda. This remarkable CD collects together performances from these musicians before and after the loss the Royal Courts, dating from 1949 to 1987 and is more than just a recording - it is a piece of social history on a national scale. There are songs, instrumental music featuring flutes, lyres, harps, xylophones, etc; solo and ensemble pieces. Altogether, an archive of wonders.