Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 7 - Guitars 2

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series
- Musical Instruments 7 - Guitars 2
Kaleidophone - KMA 7 - P.1972






Side A

A1 Manwani kufiki wanda - Ilunga Patrice & Misobma Victor (Luba-Hemba, Kolwezi, Katanga, Congo) 2'44
A2 Kanelo - Ilunga Patrice & Misobma Victor (Luba-Hemba, Kolwezi, Katanga, Congo) 3'02
A3 Guabi, guabi - George Sibanda (Ndebele, Bulawayo, Rhodesia 2'48
A4 Kissicha moto-moto - J.P. Oden (Swahili, Kidumu, Kenya) 2'31
A5 Maza kilio-e  - Jean Bosco Mwenda (Swahili, Jadotville, Katanga, Congo) 2'53
A6 Shia bantwana aosela lagavia - Nomuswiti Citaumvano and Uvakutsiwo (Xhosho-Mpondo, Lusikisiki, Pondoland, Cap, South Africa) 2'56

Side B

B1 Masenga wa Bena Nomba - Ngoi Nono, Kabonga Anastase and friends (Luba-Songe, Kabongo, Katanga, Congo) 4'31
B2 Katikalepake, katikatobeke (About to snap, about to break) - Isac Matafwana and Sunkutu (Bemba, Mufulka, Zambia) 3'01
B3 Mpenzi wangu umepotea mjini - Lang Obierto and a group of Luo men (Luo, Yala in Gem, near Kisumu, Kenya) 2'54
B4 Safari ya baraka - Ombiza Charles with his wife (Swahili-Ngwana, Kisangani, Congo) 2'55
B5 Masenga - Ilunga Patrice & Misomba Victor and friends (Luba-Hemba, Kolwezi, Katanga, Congo) 2'53
B6 Nahawandi (Udi solo) - Bom Ambaron (Swahili-Nguja, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania) 2'47


Here is Guitar 2, to my knowledge the last of the Hugh Tracey series on Kaleidophone. I like these two volumes (the previous post and this one) very very much and they have gotten a lot of playtime over the years. To me much of this music seems very sweet and innocent and always puts me in a good mood. This is music for close by friends, played in a world where people are not full of pretence or deceitfulness. A lot of idealistic nonsense you say! Self deception! So what, I rather deceive myself that have other people doing it for me! Anyhow I will be posting many more records of African music, mostly field recordings and not always this sweet. Again, I hope you enjoy!



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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 6 - Guitars 1

Hugh Tracy - The Music of Africa Series
Musical Instruments 6 - Guitars 1
Kaleidophone - KMA 6 - P.1972




Side A

A1 Masanga - Jean Bosco Mwenda (Luba-Sanga, Jadotville, Katanga, Congo) 3'01
A2 Mama na mwana (Mother and child) - Jean Bosco Mwenda (Ngala, Jadotville, Katanga, Congo) 3'00
A3 Ayu welele wa Mhalaka (Alas for a bachelor) - Ngoi Noao, Kabongo Anastase, and friends (Luba-Songe, Kabongo, Katanga, Congo) 3'04
A4 Mama Josefina - Ilunga Patrice & Misomba Victor (Luba-Hemba, Kabinda, Kasai, Congo) 2'48
A5 Antoinette wa Kolwezi - Ilunga Patrice & Misoma Victor (Luba-Hemba, Kolwezi Copper Mine, Katanga, Congo) 3'07
A6 Muleka mwene ngole - Kaseba Anatole (Luba-Shankadi, Kolwezi Copper Mine, Katanga, Congo) 3'04

Side B

B1 Muleka Mwene Yombwe - Ngoi Nono, Kabongo Anastase, and friends (Luba-Songe, Kabongo, Katanga, Congo) 4'00
B2 Nyon anyona (Walk proudly) - Lang Obiero and Luo men (Luo, Yala in Gem, near Kisumu, Kenya) 3'03
B3 Pini ochama (I was without hope) - Lang Obiero and Luo men (Luo, Yala in Gem, near Kisumu, Kenya) 2'43
B4 Anagikafu ragitake - Deab Rizgala (Nubi, Mbale, Uganda) 2'38
B5 A Desayo - Morris Kalala and an Ngala girl (Ngala, Kinshasa Congo) 2'50
B6 Iuwale-o-Iuwale (Start, o start the song) - Mbasela Kunda & William Munyanda (Lala, Setenje, Zambia) 2'43




I promised this one long ago and finally I took some new better photos and made a new rip to go along with it. Gutar 2 will follow shortly Hope you enjoy.

Guitars 1


It is not certain when guitars were first imported into Central, Eastern, a Southern Africa. They are likely to have been introduced along the seaboard by Portuguese sailors and traders during the seventeenth century, and still earlier by Arabs down the east coast - where the typically Arabian instrument, the Ud (or lute) is still played today by those who claim part-Arab ancestry. The popularity of the guitar among African players became established with the development of industries and the consequent movement of large numbers of people into urban surroundings, away from the normal sources of supply for traditional instruments.

By 1950 the use of a guitar had become the hallmark of ‘town’ music, as opposed to the more familiar forms of country music; the songs for the most part being distant imitations of foreign material set to vernacular wads.

The ability of African musicians to master the instrument varies considerably in different parts of the continent. The majority of players in the south use only the thrumming styles, limited almost exclusively to a ground bass of the three common chords; while players in the Congo and in parts of East Africa have developed the more distinctive styles of contrapuntal playing. Most African players make constant use of a capotasto on the second, third, or fourth fret in order to avoid the greater fingering distances of the open strings.

The proliferation of factories producing simple and inexpensive guitars for the African market has brought the instrument into prominence during the last decade but has added little to innate musicality or to the craft of indigenous instrument making; the skill of the guitar players featured in this record is the exception rather than the rule.

from the original liner notes on the back sleeve by Hugh Tracey

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Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series - Rhodesia 1 - 1972

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Anthology - Rhodesia 1

Kaleidophone - KMA 8 - P.1972

Side A

A1 Detyetye kusheka (To laugh) - Tabarirevu Muyambo - Ndau - Rhodesia, 1963 - 3'34
A2 Tabarirewu woenda - Tabarirevu Muyambo - Ndau - Rhodesia, 1963 - 3'23
A3 Samandozaiwe - Dance song with clapping by Ndau men - 2'48
A4 Pfeni ne ngoma - Story of the baboon and the drum by Muchaenda - 3'00
A5a Dendera jikwa - Friction Bow tune - Jeketi - Karanga - 1'21
A5b Murombo - Friction Bow tunes - Jeketi - Karanga - 1'31
A6 Ngoma dze Ngorombe - Drum rhythms by three drummers - Sena - Tonga - 4'05

Side B

B1 Pimchinanga - Zezuru - 1'28
B2 Madumbu ne manyere - Song by Teacher Training College, St. Augustine's - 2'38
B3 Nzio ya Gudo - The Song of the Baboon, Runeso Gumbo, vcl, mbira - Karanga - 2'23
B4 Chirongo - Song with Kalimba - Mugadzikwa - Karanga - 1'33
B5 Nheura - Tune on the Njari - Chabarwa - Zezuru - 2'44
B6 Masongano - Tune on the Njari - Chabarwa - Zezuru  1'57
B7 Three flute tunes - Domboshawa School Boys - 2'36
B8 Three physical training songs - Domboshawa School Boys - 2'18
B9 Ishe Komborera Afrika -  God Save Africa - Domboshawa School Boys - 2'15

Here is the Rhodesia volume of the Hugh Tracey anthologies of field recordings from Africa on Kaleidophone. There will be two more records with guitar music coming, but I have still to locate them to take new photos as the ones I had are a bit to blurred to present here. But there are so many things to post so do not worry. It still feels like I have just begun! Hope you enjoy this one!

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Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series - Tanzania 1

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Anthology - Tanzania 1

Kaleidophone - KMA 9 - P.1972

Side A

A1 Tanganyika - Paraise song - Gogo 5'10

A2 Ngwidika - Song with Zither - Hehe 3'06

A3 Simnblumi - Fighting Song - Sukuma 2'53

A4 The Wind over the Lake - Legend - Haya 2'18

A5 Wedding Song - Zinza 1'18

A6 Wedding Song - Zinza 1'20

A7 Hongahonga lele - Mbeta Pipe Dance - Zaramo 2'35

Side B

B1 Marrite - Dance Song - Meru 2'37

B2 Kunyai - Ufina Dance Song - Meru 2'36

B3 Utawala - Topical Song - Chaga - 2'37

B4 Mulipe Kodi - Ballad (Extract) - Gogo 5'13

B5 Two Manyanga Drum Rhythms - Nyamwezi 2'41

B6 Two Harusi Wedding Tunes - Nyamwezi 2'31

More from the Kaleidoscope anthologies of Hugh Traceys' African field recordings, this time in Tanzania. Hope you enjoy!

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Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series - Uganda 1

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Anthology - Uganda 1

Kaleidophone - KMA 10 - P.1972

Side A

Abalere ba Kabaka. The Flute and Drum Band.

A1 Kikwabanga 2'35
A2 Asenga omwami tagayala 2'41

Abadongo ba Kabaka. The Lute Flute and Lyre Band.

A3 Ekubuga ekigya Bamunanika 2'51

Entamivu za Kabaka. The Drum and Xylophone Band.

A4 Ssematimba 2'39
A5 Kalagala ebwembe 2'48

Entenga za Kabaka. The Tuned Drum Band.

A6 Kyuma 2'25
A7 Kasime omugu ndigwa 2'48



Side B


B1 Akontaiba 1'36
B2 Nkende yamuyayu - The waist of the wild cat 1'08
B3 Akasozi mwiri 1'55
B4 Waikova - The crow 2'55
B5 Wamubrigwe 2'51
B6 Kate kalume 2'36
B7 Ensega mwoyo 2'46
B8 Odhanga igulogulo - You would come every afternoon 1'18
B9 Omukyalo riga bamugeya 1'06

Hope you will enjoy some more Hugh Trace recordings. This time from Uganda, time does not allow me to say more than that it is full of good music. My only gripe is that there are some pieces that would have benefited a great deal if they had been a bit longer! More Indian music later...

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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 5 - Xylophones

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Musical Instruments - 5 - Xylophones

Kaleidophone - KMA 5 - P.1972

Side A

A01 Ulumbundubundu - Valley Tonga - 1'00

A02 Musingasinga yakora egali - Nyoro - 1'16

A03 Nandikulamude - Ganda - 1'15

A04 Okachi - Dhola - 1'29

A05 Kondo natipala bako - Zande Bandiya - 2'00

A06 Mkazi wa mulomo (The talkative woman) - Nyanja-Mang'anja - 2'48

A07 Kalubambu tambo abibongo - Kanyoka - 2'24

A08 Mulaal karimukwa panga (Mulala stole money) - Lozi - 2'36

A09 Mutomboko and Luwendo - Luba - 2'40

Side B

B01 Lawanzani michanga sika timbila tamakono (Come together and make music for the new year) - Chopi - 3'46

B02 Demonstration of the left and right-hand melodies of the ground or subject upon which the previous item was based - Chopi - 0'51

B03 Msitso we Mbidi (Second orchestral introduction) Chopi - 3'00

B04 Chibudu - Chopi (an Intermezzo) 2'18

B05 Msitso wokhata (First orchestral introduction) Chopi - 1'07

B06 Hinganyengisa masingita (Listen to the mysteries) Chopi - 3'30

B07 Nzashaniseka (I am suffering) - Tswa - 1'03

B08 Kachancha - Lunda - 1'56

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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 4 - Flutes and Horns

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Musical Instruments - 4 - Flutes and Horns

Kaleidophone - KMA 4 - P.1972

Side A

A01 Sigowilo duet - Chopi - 0'43

A02 Godumaduma gwa Mosadi - Tswana-Lete - 2'25

A03 Chansi cha nzige - Zaramo - 2'45

A04 Ai-ye! Nzara yakabora (Ai-ye! Famine has come) Sena-Tonga 3'05

A05 Bwomera envu (When your hair turns grey, you are getting old) - Soga - 1'25

A06 Kikwabanga - Ganda - 2'31

A07 Herdsman's tune - Nande - 1'24

A08 Flute tune - Nyakyusa - 1'20

A09 Mishiba - Luba-Songe - 2'35

Side B

B01 Custodo a mabile - Gitonga - 2'35

B02 M'Sodomo - Nyanja-Chewa - 2'39

B03 Mavumbala - Yogo - 3'05

B04 Nkete - Nyoro-Haya - 2'34

B05 Rwakanembe - Nyoro - 1'14

B06 Kyarutema - Rwanda - 2'54

B07 Mulimo omutanda (The owner of the house) Soga 1'17

B08 Chombela - Luba-Bakwanga - 2'45

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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 3 - Drums

Hugh Tracy - The Music of Africa Series

Musical Instruments - 3 - Drums

Kaleidophone - KMA 3 - P.1972

Side A

A01 Enkoito - Haya - 1'35

A02 Mambala - Luba - 2'07

A03 Fwanda-fwanda - Lala - 1'36

A04 Manyanga - Nyamwezi - 1'20

A05 Ngororombe - Sena-Tonga - 3'49

A06 Royal Drums of the Omwami of Rwanda

A07 Royal Drums of the Omwami of Rwanda - Tutsi - 4'33

Side B

B01 Drum message, calling people to come - Kanyoka - 1'07

B02 Three drum signals - Mangbele - 1'53

B03 Kwebemera Omukana (Drums for a royal occasion) - Nyoro - 1'12

B04 Mitamba yalagala kumchuzi - Zaramo - 0'40

B05 Kyuma - Ganda - 1'35

B06 Likhuba - Manganja - 1'10

B07 Congo Bereji - Yogo - 2'14

B08 Nadu - Medje - 2'00

B09 Yando - Buudu - 1'49

B10 Manyanga - Nyamwezi - 2'20

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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 2 - Reeds (Mbira)

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Musical Instruments - 2 - Reeds (Mbira)

Kaleidophone - KMA 2 - P.1972

Side A

Pentatonic Instruments

A01 Kyonda ali mugenyi (The careful father) Nyoro - 1'24

A02 Maganga kalila zanwelo (Manganga wishes you luck) Gogo - 1'04

A03 Dylowe dyambule kabanda (The ant carries a load) Luba - 1'24

A04 Ndiri - Alur - 1'26

A05 Kiriyo (A woman is wonderful) - Soga 2'07

Hexatonic Instruments

A06 Detyetye kusheka (To laugh) Ndau - 3'34

A07 Hondoro (Hondoro, soul) Ndau - 1'18

A08 Meki, ye Meki woye (Meki has lost something) Ndau - 2'44

A09 Mwadzi itira (He did it himself) Ndau - 1'33

A10 Kemai - Luba - 1'25

Side B

B01 Bata wasungu mulundu - Lala - 1'50

B02 Harusi (Wedding tune) Nyamwezi -1'21

B03 Bidera - Venda - 1'18

B04 Magonde (Song for the Chief) Njanja - 1'37

B05 Gororombe yawakuru (The Gororombe dance of the elders) Karanga - 1'29

B06 Sitima senda namoto (The train goes with fire) Mbunda - 2'24

B07 Tambuka nalikishi (The mask dance) Mbunda - 1'51

B08 Muzeze (Prisoner, dance the Muzeze) Binza - 1'56

B09 Nemangolia - Medje - 1'14

B10 Dzoli - Medje - 1'45

This LP has the same contents as the K7 recently posted by the good Stefan at the Worldservice blog here. I have not checked that carefully, like track times and such, but all the tracks seem to match and the order is the same so I assume they are identical edits as well. This particular series on Kaleidophone consisted of 10 LP's and I will post all of the others here and also some more individual volumes from earlier series on Decca and Gallotone but I only have random numbers from those catalogue.

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Hugh Tracey - Musical Instruments - 1 - Strings

Hugh Tracey - The Music of Africa Series

Musical Instruments - 1 - Strings

Kaleidophone - KMA 1 - P.1972

Side A

A01 Ganga - Ganda - 1'22

A02 Okwagala omulungi kwesengareza - Ganda - 3'04

A03 Elosi aberu akipore imaqniti abiro - Teso - 0'55

A04 Ekyoma kyabora - Nyoro - 1'37

A05 Tichi mabere - Dhola - 1'27

A06 Gitari na Congo - Zande- 1'33

A07 Munya gwerira Munyale - Ganda - 1'37

A08 Bengeria - Kipsigis - 1'18

A09 Chemirocha - Kipsigis - 1'26

A10 Chepchona marinda - Nandi - 1'00

A11 Gideon Magak - Luo - 1'13

A12 Abasevendi abada - Ganda - 1'18

Side B

B01 Odhiambo Odet - Luo - 1'22

B02 Dzombe rija - Chewa - 1'11

B03 Nenemegyeti - Medje - 1'36

B04 Ngwidika sadanga wapamagulu - Hehe - 3'08

B05 Lukiza - Haya - 2'41

B06 Ndalame - Tonga - 1'56

B07 Kazela kambe lemba - Yao- 1'25

B08 Tisimbi wasauka - Chewa - 1'11

B09 Ihlomulo walekaya mangawa yauima - Hlengwe - 0'53

B10 Ngoneni ngoneni bakithi - Swazi - 1'12

Inspired in parts by a post from Stefan on his wonderful blog Worldservice I decided to pay my tribute to Hugh Tracey who devoted much of his life to preserve African music that most likely otherwise would never have met our ears. The only gripe is of course that much is presented in a very inventory fashion and often we are left with a minute or two , sometimes even less, of music that could have gone on for hours. Well, I am sure his efforts helped to make many more people aware of the richness, creativeness and immense beauty, diversity and depth of African Music. This first part of the series of seven LP's are the devoted each to a group of instruments and the last three edited by geographical origin. Actually by nation, and I think, but I do not know for sure, that many of the other volumes, they were supposedly 118 LP's in all, issued on different labels, had that similar approach. I have come across a few others that were not by nation (geography) but by the best hits of a certain year. This of course resulting from the fact that some recordings he made, he also tried to place on the more hit-driven commercial market. He placed several recordings on 78 rpms in the Gallo catalogue, but most were produced and distributet to reseach libraries, National Radiostations, institutions of music and and musicology and most likely some batches were distributed to various Ethnographic Museums over the world.

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Kaleidophone Catalogue - Discographic Record

The Music of Africa Series - Anthologies

Kaleidophone - P.1972

KMA 1 Musical Instruments 1 - Strings

KMA 2 Musical Instruments 2 - Reeds (Mbira)

KMA 3 Musical Instruments 3 - Drums

KMA 4 Musical Instruments 4 - Flutes and Horns

KMA 5 Musical Instruments 5 - Xylophones

KMA 6 Musical Instruments 6 - Guitar 1

KMA 7 Musical Instruments 7 - Guitar 2

KMA 8 Rhodesia 1

KMA 9 Tanzania 1

KMA 10 Uganda 1

Here is another label that I will start posting titles from. I will eventually post all of them but in the initial stage I have only made ready the series Musical Instruments 1-7.

The 10 titles I know of were produced in the United States as a selection from the magnum opus of Hugh Tracey and also edited by him.

To complicate matters further there are these volumes on various labels numbered and named differently. I will go into more detail on that in a while.

The Kaleidophone LP's were compiled from an allegedly 118 LP's series that appeared over the years from the forties, either on Decca or Gallotone, or both of them. Maybe they started on Decca and continued on Gallotone, and there were different numbered sseries. I am not sure! If anyone has more specific details please share them with us!

Samples of record covers from those catalogues as an illustration of some of the complexity.

LF 1084 Music of Africa series - No.1 - Tanganyika Territory

- Songs & Instrumental Music of Tanganyika

LF 1172 Music of Africa series - No.7 - Congo - Songs and Dances

LF 1173 Music of Africa series - No.8 - Music of The Uganda Protectorate

LF 1224 Music of Africa series - No.10 - The best recordings from 1953 - part 1

GALP 1320 The Music of Africa Series No. 25 - Tanganyika