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Uganda Cultural Dance Bonanza – Buganda
April 3, 2021
Uganda is gifted with wildlife, mountains,lakes and beautiful people that make up the 56 tribes each with their language,norms, traditional music and dances. On 3rd April 2021 we are going to showcase the traditional dancing and music from the central region of Uganda (Buganda)which include Baakisimba, Nankasa,muwogola dance, Mbaga dance and Magujju dance.
These dances were mainly performed before the king( kabaka) and each dance has got its own origin. Forexample, Baakisimba originated when Kabaka Sauna II who rulled during the 18th century went to visit one of his counties where his subjects were waiting to meet him. Surprisingly they had prepared a drink, a mixture of sweet banana (embidde) and millet (omuwemba). He was served the drink in a calabash locally known as endeku since they were no glasses like it is in the modern days. He liked the taste of the brew and hot drunk though it was unheard of for one to say the king (Kabaka) got drunk. When he got drunk he said “abaakisimba bebakiwomya”meaning those who planted the sweet banana are the reason the brew tastes this good. From this, the rhythm accompanying to the Baakisimba dance and drums were formed. Each of the steps made in the dance are recounted by his words.