Oral tradition and intergenerational transmission of musical knowledge in bunyoro kitara kingdom: the ensegu (flute) tradition - an empirical study in Hoima city

Abstract

The Ensegu (flute) ensemble occupies a central yet undocumented place in the ceremonial life of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, western Uganda. Despite its indispensable role at the annual Empango royal coronation ceremony, its intergenerational transmission mechanisms have received no empirical investigation. This phenomenological qualitative study examined how musical knowledge is transmitted within the Ensegu tradition among master musicians, craftsmen, and apprentices in Hoima City, Uganda. Data were collected between February and July 2024 through in-depth interviews, field observations at rehearsals and the June 2024 Empango ceremony, and audio recordings. Sixteen participants were recruited through purposive sampling from a community of over forty learners, comprising two master players and instrument makers, four experienced ensemble musicians, three cultural leaders, and seven apprentices. Thematic analysis revealed six interconnected transmission mechanisms: sonic role differentiation, ceremonial apprenticeship immersion, melodic interlocking pedagogy, master-to-apprentice oral coaching, cultural memory activation through Runyoro song texts, and instrument craft transmission. The Ensegu tradition constitutes a distributed pedagogical system in which musical technique, ensemble intelligence, cultural identity, and craft knowledge are transmitted as an integrated whole. Findings carry implications for decolonial music education policy and integration of indigenous pedagogical models into Uganda's Competency-Based Curriculum.