Edward Kabuye

Edward Kabuye
Artistic director
Principal country concerned : Column : Music, Theater, Cinema/tv, Dance, History/society

I was born in 1966 November 15th in a village called Masajja near the suburbs of Kampala the capital city of Uganda. When I was one year of age the then prime minister Milton Obote over threw the then president and King of my Tribe the Baganda, which created many changes in the lives of our people this including my parents. I joined school when I was 5 years and in the same year the armed forces over threw the Obote government and Idi Amin became the president, in 1972 he sent away all Asians and some Europeans who actually were running the economy of the country we experienced brutal killings and abductions. This brought so many instabilities including the destroying of the education system, Uganda was cut off from the rest of the world due to so many international sanctions all professions went into exile and so many of them loosing their lives.

Though the situation was worsening day by day I continued with my primary education at Masajja primary school. The year I was going to finish my primary education we got another take over by exiled groups with the assistance of the Tanzanian military forces after a long bloody war which killed so many people including my own relatives. In 1980 I was able to do my exams and luckily passed to join Kampala secondary school in 1981 in the capital city, un luckily the same year Yoweri Museveni started a guerrilla war against the government of which he accused of stilling the elections which were carried on in 1980, this was disaster for so many of us because almost all our young lives were spent in war and we had thought that this was a break through and the end of the instabilities but that was not to be.

We continued to study with so many difficulties, the poor economy and so many others which accompany bloody wars. Through this time so many young people were forced into war any way this was the only way to survive because it was dangerous to live without doing anything, my parents resisted so much and I was forced to stay in those circumstances until I finished my O level in 1984,and then joined Kololo High school the following year.
In 1988 I was introduced to Pro. Rose Mbowa who was the head of Department at the music, dance and drama department at the University of Makerere, I studied at the department at the same time working as a potter on several buildings to earn some money to pay for my fees and other needs as a young man. I completed my course in 1990 and the same year I was very lucky to have a job with Uganda's top music group the Afrigo band where I worked as a choreographer and a junior vocalist.

In 1993 I formed my first group the De vibrators and the same time still working with the Afrigo. In 1994 I moved base to Nairobi Kenya, I was not very new in Kenya as I had performed previously on two tours and I had got several contacts. Immediately I started a group the Talking drums of Uganda which included some Ugandans who lived in Kenya for some time as refugees and I called some others from Uganda, it was very hard to work with a group with only foreigners that forced me to change the group to Talking drums of Africa to allow me include Kenyans. Many Ugandans left the group others got opportunities to go abroad and others were not willing to be foreign countries.

In 1996 I registered with the department of culture and started to involve myself in so many multicultural activities and projects. I did not know that this was a beginning of a long journey which has brought me where I am now.

In 1997 I was invited to go and conduct a cultural exchange program in south Africa on which I was offered a job as an instructor at Mmabana mabatho arts school for seven months, I returned to Kenya the same year and joined the campaign to fight HIV/AIDS using the arts winning several awards as a performer and also as a group. In 1998 I was again involved in a cultural exchange program in Germany and there after coming back I was given another opportunity to present my HIV/AIDS productions to the then US secretary of state Ms Al bright, the same year I was also lucky to meet the directors of Mundial Festival who had come particularly to see my work and several others of which they had asked me to organize. And it was this year we became so close with Ann and eventually in December we started to stay together in Dandora. This year 1998 I started to work with children centre and homes namely Shangilia mtoto wa Africa, Imani children centre and Pangani Lutheran children centre as a permanent volunteer

I was invited and the Talking drums to perform at Festival mundial and also other performance opportunities were offered, on my tour I visited some schools where I conducted several music and dace workshop and this went on for three consecutive years;1999, 2000 and 2001, also performing on several other festivals in the Netherlands.

In the year 2000 I was requested by the united bible societies to do a video experiment about the birth of Jesus and in 2001 I did another experiment about the death of Jesus after successfully done the two experiments I was commissioned to conduct a workshop for all UBS translators which took place in 2002 in Chang Mai in Thailand on the same I visited Malaysia and conducted workshops for Christian performing groups in Kuala lumpur. Before going to Thailand and Malaysia I had finished a tour to Zanzibar to participate in Zanzibar international film festivals.

In 2004 I produced a wonderful production the Ivory which was performed at the Italian institute of culture and at the Kenya national theater. The following year was much spent on research also performing and teaching on the local platform.

In 2006 together with others I started another drum project the drum café with support from UNESCO, Alliance francaise de Nairobi and Sarakasi trust and the same year I was asked to send a group to participate in Mayotte international music festival in Mayotte.
The year 2007 the drum café continued to get support from Am ref, UNESCO, Alliance francaise and Unity college. 2008 the drum café was hosted by the Go Down Arts Centre with support from their partners Ford foundation, the Netherlands embassy and Lowe scanad.

In 2008 I visited Uganda on invitation to assist in putting up Bayimba international music festival also conducted workshops involving drummers from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.

So many young men and women I have taught are scattered around the world, these people their lives will never be the same again. Some of them are still active performers, while others have started their own groups and still they contact me from time to time for advice and guidance.


MY DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS

Cultural diversity is one of the driving forces of development, not only restricted to economic growth but also linked to a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional and spiritual life. Such diversity is supported by different forms of cultural expressions and the development of the creative industries in east Africa is hindered partly by the lack of support from artistic developers, the media and other intellectual bodies, what we can see are business tycoons that are killing an indispensable chain necessary for enhancing the cultural diversity.

I would like to partner with other positive minded persons and organizations to quickly develop a heavily expanded Mobility to perform a variety of demanding tasks such as

Highlight knowledge and practice in the field that advance artistic effectiveness, nurturing a growing community of practice among artists; and explore the system wide change in Art that have the potential to expand people's collective impact.

Instigate the culture of strong market positions among artists and brand recognition in cultural core businesses, which attributes to quality products, advanced innovation, professional performance, reliability, and consistence.

Establish an extensive domestic and international promotion system for specialty productions and other services for our artists; utilize networks of dealers and promoters and artistic agencies around the globe.

Significantly increase capacity in production making, training and ways of life.


To begin a strategic initiative to diversify our major objectives by making selective acquisitions in attractive segments of promotion, training and creating of a significant impact on the performance of authentic art forms as so to improve the sector through a focus on effective measures, to increase cultural awareness and to promote exchange between culture and development

To create and generate an innovative network of creative and performing professionals aiming to re-define authentic art forms as a powerful medium of social change, facilitate a platform for show casing the expertise, develop and display skills, develop indigenous performances and make diverse links between practitioners in professional artistic and cultural pursuits.

Sharing individual exploits, experiences and networking,

Putting insight into practical working methodologies and ideologies.

Advance training, presentation, promotion and research capabilities.

Expose Strong brand recognition in the industry and demonstrate design for better promotion strategies.

Engineering capabilities through the introduction of several highly focused proprietary components that increase the operating performance of cultural Groups.
Helping young artists get started and offering poor artists the possibility to move on by themselves. In other words: Help them helping themselves, to let them achieve pride and dignity.



Have been a leading choreographer, producer and marketer of a broad range of specialty African authentic music and dance for the last 14 years, I have recognized the need to invest time and energy in Skill development, Cultural empowerment & Education.

I have supported social activities, multicultural projects and assisted in cultural training in institutions and schools locally and internationally.

I have initiated and directed several cultural and artistic projects, I have produced educational productions on HIV/AIDS, Drug abuse, War, Poverty and involved on various civic education programs

I have developed lasting fundamental changes coupled with the tenacious efforts of producing and developing skills of so many young men and women. At the same time I have witnessed people gaining a sense of self-respect and pride from what they are able to achieve. This is very important to many of us because pride, dignity and self-respect can not be given in the form of gifts - they come as fruits from the work invested by people in their own lives.

I believe I have competitive advantages over larger production companies and institutions in my specialty artistic experiences due to my efficiency and flexibility in custom fabrication capabilities and my relatively higher standards of similar services.

I believe these proprietary components provide the program a competitive advantage by increasing artistic products durability, operating efficiency and performance

I have plans to continue my focus on those specialty targets where I have or can acquire strong provident results and where I believe I can leverage synergies in creating, producing, publicize and increase cultural awareness

I seek funding for innovative product development; invest in further strategic acquisition of a great purpose of developing and exposing east African authentic artistic forms to the world.

I believe I have developed a reputation for excellent product quality, performance and reliability at all levels in each of the specialty in which I participate.

I committee myself to develop the image of our ancestral art forms, transform the culture of art to fulfill its role in the society and improve the well-being of those practicing the trade.

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

With the support of