''Reclaiming indigenous epistemes : entenga drums revival at Kyambogo University''. In decolonising African Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter clarifies how Indigenous pedagogies could contribute to university music education and general education pedagogy. This is based on a project in which Musisi Mukalazi Livingstone, master musician, successfully transferred knowledge and skills of Entenga royal drum music to university students and practising musicians. Entenga royal drum music of the Buganda kingdom, in Uganda, was threatened with extinction following political instabilities in the 1960s, which ended with banning cultural institutions and their associated practices. By 2015, Musisi was the only surviving royal Entenga musician. The 6-month project enabled six Kyambogo University students and six non-university practising musicians to learn Entenga repertoire using pedagogies that involved holistic, contextual acts; scaffolding; storytelling; demonstration; collaborative problem solving; active learner participation; and real-life learning goal setting. The youths engaged intensely and joyfully in their learning and became proficient in 12 Entenga songs after 6 months. They were invited to perform at a public event and the Buganda king’s annual coronation anniversaries from 2016 to 2019. Entenga gave students an opportunity to develop their identities as revivalists. This example reinforces that Indigenous-centric music education can become meaningful for Ugandan students if they develop their knowledge through bringing their community’s cultural resources into learning contexts.