3 April 2012
Northern Ugandan music is a display of fast paced, lively and energetic melodies that depict a celebration of the holistic nature of life in this region. The music is definitive of concepts such as unity, pride in oneself and the community, as well as dignity.
Some of the song and dance genres produced are Bwola, Larakaraka, Aguma and Contemporary Luo music. In this kind of music, vocals are delivered in a group by various singers, mostly males. Repetitive stomping and jumping, along with the rhythmic shaking of the head and neck; are common features of the traditional dance in this part of the country.
The 20-year old conflict at the hands of Joseph Kony and the LRA, stripped northern Uganda of much. And even in the face of civil war, the Luo continued to sing and dance.
It's this ability to triumph in the face of tragedy that is a catalyst to the restoration process currently.
A new spirit of creativity has been ignited and the people of northern Uganda are experiencing a kind of music revolution.
And their music contains vital messages of character, recovery, trauma, love and hope.
It's through this common celebration, that Watoto shared the story of northern Uganda by expressing the unrelenting hope of the Luo people in the face of unimaginable loss, through various productions such as Restore Tour: Child Soldier No More.
Catch a glimpse of the melodious music and dance of one of the Luo tribes (Acholi) from the global stage production, Restore Tour: Child Soldier No More.
Hear their stories in Restore Gulu
