Uganda - Barkcloth making in Uganda

Barkcloth making is an ancient craft of the Baganda people who live in the Buganda kingdom in southern Uganda. Traditionally, craftsmen of the Ngonge clan, headed by a kaboggoza, the hereditary chief craftsman have been manufacturing bark cloth for the Baganda royal family and the rest of the community. Its preparation involves one of humankind’s oldest savoir-faire, a prehistoric technique that predates the invention of weaving. The inner bark of the Mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) is harvested during the wet season and then, in a long and strenuous process, beaten with different types of wooden mallets to give it a soft and fine texture and an even terracotta colour. Craftsmen work in an open shed to protect the bark from drying out too quickly. Barkcloth is worn like a toga by both sexes, but women place a sash around the waist. While common barkcloth is terracotta in colour, barkcloth of kings and chiefs is dyed white or black and worn in a different style to underline their status. The cloth is mainly worn at coronation and healing ceremonies, funerals and cultural gatherings but is also used for curtains, mosquito screens, bedding and storage. The production of barkcloth, which was widely spread with workshops in almost every village in the Buganda kingdom. With the introduction of cotton cloth by Arab caravan traders in the nineteenth century, production slowed and eventually faded out, limiting the use of barkcloth to cultural and spiritual functions. Nevertheless, barkcloth is still recognized among the Baganda community as a marker of specific social and cultural traditions. In recent years, the production of barkcloth has been greatly encouraged and promoted in the Buganda kingdom.

Uganda - Ma'di bowl lyre music and dance

The Ma’di bowl lyre music and dance is a cultural practice of the Madi people of Uganda. Passed on by the community’s ancestors, the songs and dances involved in the tradition are performed for various purposes, including weddings, political rallies, to celebrate good harvests, educate children, resolve conflict or mourn the passing of loved ones. Several rituals also take place regarding the production and use of the lyre: preparing a special meal to bless the instrument while it is being made; placing pieces of broom and stone taken from a ‘quarrelsome woman’ inside it and praying to the ancestors so the instrument will resemble a similar sound; naming the instrument; and shaking it before and after playing to show respect for it. The traditional practice is a tool for strengthening family ties and clan unity, as well as educating younger generations about their community’s history, values and culture. Associated knowledge and skills on the practice are transmitted from senior bearers to young people. However, the tradition’s continuity is at risk due to it being perceived as old fashioned by new generations and materials that are used to make the instrument coming from plants and animals now being considered endangered.