KATOKYE

About

John Katokye is a traditional singer from the Banyankore people of Western Uganda, and he has spent decades living inside their songs. He started out herding cattle to support himself, and that long apprenticeship turned him into one of the region's most respected voices. His specialty is ekyeshongoro, a style built on improvised, poetic lines about family, local history and the landscapes where the famous longhorn cattle graze. On stage he is joined by backup singers who weave in over his phrases, so the vocals roll on in one continuous flow that can run past ten minutes. It's hypnotic, closer to a trance than a song structure most listeners know. His album Obuhangwa bwa Banyankore na Bahororo came out on Nyege Nyege Tapes, which carried this throat singing tradition well beyond Western Uganda for the first time. A video of the material was filmed by Vincent Moon.