Starting in March this year, traditional leaders in Namutumba district want to entertain couples and their guests with cultural dances rather than Western or country music.
Bushiki Region Culture Minister Wilberforce Isiko said that although the drums cannot provide the kind of entertainment that guests enjoy, they are also a communication tool.
“From next month (March), all weddings in the area will feature cultural dances, which are symbols of Busoga culture,” Isiko said on Saturday.
He added: “We are not banning discos, but for now they should be used for graduation ceremonies and other parties.”
Isiko said that in Uganda’s cultural environment, drums are used to call gatherings, to notify the community when someone dies by suicide, and for families to celebrate the birth of twins.
“Drums are a staple of entertainment and span all ethnic groups in Uganda. That’s why we created our We want to bring back that culture,” he further explained.
Mrondo Kagoe Isabilie, first deputy prime minister of Busiki Emirate, is from the Baisse Murondo clan and lives in Kigarama village, Namutumba district, and said he was “tired” of listening to Western and country music.
“Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still the One,’ Olivia Penalba’s ‘You are the Reason,’ and many other songs are played at weddings. These are traditional ways to celebrate a traditional marriage. ,” Isabilier said.
He goes on to say, “When girls get married, we beat drums as a sign of contacting special spirits for blessings and protection.” The way people dance to Western music, including “Squeeze,” It sends a bad signal to young people who attend such parties. ”
He performed traditional Lusoga songs such as Tamene Ibuga and Mama Ayaba as the “best music” to be played during the wedding.
Wilbur Gonda, deputy minister of culture in the Bushiki emirate, said the majority of Ugandans live in rural areas, with only a few in urban areas buying expensive musical accessories that play African music. Stated.
Eridadi Kabakubiya, Katukiro of Nkono Emirate, said traditional dances should not be lost due to advances in technology as drums set the pace and rhythm of the different types of dances used to celebrate marriages. Stated.
Wilson Karikawe, a resident of Burafa village, said the traditional married life of Busoga is being eroded by the introduction of formal education and the imitation of Western culture.
“We need to go back to the way we treat wedding parties, where the problem of bringing in disco didn’t exist. Rather, people copied it and now it has become the norm,” he said. further explained.
Sarah Nangobi, a resident of Namutumba City Council, said banning music at wedding parties would not help as Western and country music was needed.
“There’s nothing wrong with that kind of music, but people dancing to it is. Before we ban it, let’s first regulate how people dance to it,” she said.