Luo music has been transforming since the late 2000’s. Over the last eight years, a handful of producers based in Gulu, Northern Uganda, have been reinterpreting traditional Larakaraka melodies (a specific fast-paced music made for weddings) using inexpensive music software.
For two years, the Boutiq Foundation have been meticulously collecting this music and collating it under different producers and styles. Simultaneously, the Boutiq Foundation have been working closely with a number of Luo musicians from Gulu, and in July 2016 ran a month-long residency programme which brought them together with Kenyan Luo/UK act Owiny Singoma band to produce a series of recordings.
Through this collaboration, the Boutiq Foundation will develop upon the exciting transformations currently happening in indigenous Luo music in Kenya and Uganda. In partnership with Owiny Singoma Band Kenya and Brownswood recordings (UK), they will connect Luo sounds with wider European dance sensibilities to reach new audiences across East Africa and in the UK..
The British Council has awarded the Trans-national Luo music collaboration the new Art new Audiences grant
This project is in collaboration with Boutiq Foundation (Uganda), Brownswood Recording (UK), and Owiny Singoma Band (Kenya).
Are you an artist interested in collaborating across East Africa?
The East Africa Arts programme offers grants for East African artists and cultural practitioners to travel and participate in cultural events in East Africa.