Department of Performing Artshttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/152024-03-28T14:56:53Z2024-03-28T14:56:53ZIndigenous music learning in contemporary contexts: nurturing learner identity, agency, and passionJames, Isabiryehttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/15752024-02-01T00:14:26Z2021-01-01T00:00:00ZIndigenous music learning in contemporary contexts: nurturing learner identity, agency, and passion
James, Isabirye
I studied the revival project that involved teaching and (re)learning of a nearly extinct music tradition of
the Basoga people from Uganda, to find out what might be learnt about and from those learning processes,
and insights that might be applicable in formal educational settings. The revival project activities were
documented (with participants’ permission) and publicized through a large number of audio and
audiovisual recordings, photographs, and reports from community and school settings. Treating this
documentation as extant data, I engaged in a qualitative analysis of the social and musical interactions
between and among the two surviving master musicians and the youths to understand the nature and
meaning of these learning experiences. Emergent themes reflected that nurturing identity, agency, and
joy-filled passion among the learners were the main contributing factors that facilitated a successful
transfer of knowledge and skills from the elderly master musicians to multitudes of youths.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZNamadu drum music and dance as mediation of healing rituals among the Bagwere people of UgandaJames, Isabiryehttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/15732024-02-01T00:13:48Z2021-03-01T00:00:00ZNamadu drum music and dance as mediation of healing rituals among the Bagwere people of Uganda
James, Isabirye
This article reports on a study that investigated the Namadu healing ritual of the Bagwere people of Uganda. The ritual involves drumming, singing and dancing, as well as sacrificing chicks, birds and animals towards gaining spiritual, emotional and physical healing of afflicted clan members. This music and dance mediated ritual is no longer commonly performed in African indigenous communities, and has not previously received scholarly attention. The current study sought to find out the deeper meaning of this indigenous heritage; what modern society could learn from it; and its viability in a contemporary context. Ethnographic data was obtained through observation, interviews, focus group discussions, and analysis of extant videos and photographs. The findings revealed that the Namadu ritual embeds cultural identity, and increases agency in communities. Further, the music and dance have been re-invented into a royal and social entertainment, and a cultural festival for the Bagwere Cultural Union (BCU) and communities, respectively.
2021-03-01T00:00:00ZReclaiming indigenous epistemes entenga drums revival at Kyambogo UniversityJames, Isabiryehttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/15722024-02-01T00:13:48Z2022-01-01T00:00:00ZReclaiming indigenous epistemes entenga drums revival at Kyambogo University
James, Isabirye
Across the African continent, college student activists have long fought to decolonise African institutions. Reflecting ongoing Western colonisation, however, Indigenous African languages, thought, and structures remain excluded from African universities. Such universities remain steeped in Eurocentric modes of knowing, teaching, researching, and communicating. Students are rarely afforded the opportunity to learn about the wealth of knowledge and sustainable wisdom that was and is generated by their own home communities. Such localised Indigenous African perspectives are critical in a world committed to anti-Black racism, capitalist materialism, and global destruction.
This book thus clarifies decolonial efforts to transform higher education from its anti-Black foundation, offering hope from universities across the continent. Writers are university administrators and faculty who directly challenge contemporary colonial education, exploring tangible ways to decolonise structures, curricula, pedagogy, research, and community relationships. Ultimately, this book moves beyond structural transformation to call for a global commitment to develop Indigenous African-led systems of higher education that foster multilingual communities, local knowledges, and localised approaches to global problems. In shifting from a Western-centric lens to multifaceted African-centrism, the authors reclaim decoloniality from co-optation, repositioning African intellectualism at the core of global higher education to sustain an Ubuntu-based humanity.
2022-01-01T00:00:00ZParticipation of young people with special needs in school based musical performances in selected primary schools in Mukono district, UgandaNtambirwa, Rocklinehttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/11752024-02-06T10:00:24Z2022-06-01T00:00:00ZParticipation of young people with special needs in school based musical performances in selected primary schools in Mukono district, Uganda
Ntambirwa, Rockline
This study intended to find out the nature of participation of young persons with special
needs in music activities that take place in primary school contexts. It was motivated by the
apparently low levels of participation by the young people with special needs in school-based
musical performances. The objectives of the study were to establish the nature of musical
engagements, establish the level of participation and factors responsible for the levels of
participation and to find out the implications of the participation in school-based music
programs to YPwSNs in selected primary schools of Mukono district. The study was qualitative
in nature. Data in form of interviews, Participant observation, written documents, audio and
visual recording was collected and analyzed in order to phenomena of participation by YPwSNs
in school-based music performances. Thus, findings of the study were made.
Findings revealed that young people with special needs are capacitated to participate in
community music practices especially in school contexts. The young people have the ability to
participate in school-based music activities regardless of the impairments. They can participate
in singing, dancing, acting, playing instruments, poetry and other musical performances. It was
recommended that in order to nurture the young people with special needs’ capacity to
participate in school-based music activities, the government, teachers, care givers and the
community should encourage, create a conducive atmosphere and support the participation of
young people with special needs in school-based music activities.
xi, 131 p. :ill. (some col.) ;
2022-06-01T00:00:00Z