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| Dr. James K. Makubuya, Ph.D.
(Ethnomusicology) 'SACSOFI' is my official logo for
this personal website. |
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My website is one of several fora I use to share my past,
present, and on-going analytical study of the
significant role folk instruments play in folk societies.
Reflecting current fields of study in organology,
I use this website to record my explorations of the extent to which --
beyond musical sounds -- shapes, decorations, and iconography of musical
instruments are symbolic of the folk cultures from which they originate
and, consequently, represent.
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JAMES MAKUBUYA
James K. Makubuya was born and brought up in the culture of the Baganda, in the East African nation of Uganda. He graduated with a B.A. in Music & English Literature (Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda), a Master of Music degree in Western Music (Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., USA), and a Ph.D., in Ethnomusicology (University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA). He is currently an Associate Professor of Music, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana (USA).
By profession,
James Makubuya is a teacher, and a performing musician,
actively engaged in ethnomusicological research.
An active member of the Galpin Society, the International Council for Traditional Music, and Society for Ethnomusicology, his research focuses on the organological studies of East Africa. With the endongo (8-string bowl lyre) as his main instrument, James is a proficient performer of several instruments, including the endingidi (1-string tube fiddle), adungu (9-string bow harp), amadinda (12-slab log xylophone), akogo (thumb piano) and engoma (drums). He is also an accomplished dancer and choreographer, having studied with several master musicians and dancers from various East African musical traditions.
James has traveled to various cities of Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, North and South America, presenting research papers, guest lectures, lecture demonstrations, workshops, and concert performances at (i) conferences, colloquia, and seminars, (ii) academic and cultural institutions, (iii) archives and museums, (iv) folk and culture festival events. His most recent solo performances include Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA, London Trinity College of Music, London, U.K., the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
As a recording artist, James has been a featured musician in the movie Mississipi Masala, and several television movies and documentaries including: Simba: the King of the Jungle; Sherlock Holmes; The African Skies; The African Thunderstorm; and The Jungle Choir. Following his first audio recording, The Uganda Tropical Beat I (1993), James has released three other CDs, Taata Wange (1998), Watik, Watik: Music from Uganda (2000), and Wu Man and Friends (2005) which was jointly produced with Wu Man, a Chinese virtuoso pipa player, together with two other virtuoso musicians including, Lee Knight, an Appalachian banjo, dulcimer, and mouth bow player, and Julian Kytasy that plays the Ukranian bandura and sopilka.
James is the founder and artistic director of WAMIDAN, the Wabash College World Music performance ensemble, for those interested in exploring the artistic and scientific myths and mysteries of folk music and dances.
CURRICULUM VITAE
James K. Makubuya
Associate Professor of Music
Music Department, Wabash College
P.O. Box 352
Crawfordsville, IN 47933, USA
makubuya@wabash.edu
Tel. 765 361 6474 (office)
EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles, CA. Ph.D.
(Ethnomusicology), 1995
Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. M. Mus.
(Western Music / Music Education), 1988
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. B.A. (Music, English
Literature), 1980
DOCTORAL THESIS
“Endongo: The Role and Significance of the Baganda Bowl
Lyre of Uganda.”
PERFORMANCE TRAINING IN WORLD MUSIC
- A. INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL MUSIC:
Akogo (thumb piano) of the Teso Culture, Uganda
Adungu (9-string arched harp) of the Alur Culture, Uganda
Madinda (12-slab log xylophone) of the Baganda Culture, Uganda
Endingidi (1-string tube fiddle) of the Baganda Culture, Uganda
Endongo (8-string bowl lyre) of the Baganda Culture, Uganda
Entongooli (8-string bowl lyre) of the Basoga Culture, Uganda
Obokano (8-string bowl lyre) of the Gusii Culture, Kenya
Isikuti (3-drum set) drumming technique of the Baluhya Culture, Kenya
Traditional drumming techniques of multiple ethnic cultures of Uganda
Mandinka djembe drumming of Senegal, West Africa
Ewe drumming of Ghana, West Africa
Javanese Gamelan of Indonesia
- B. FOLK/TRADITIONAL DANCING:
Traditional folk dancing and choreography from various East African musical cultures and traditions including the Ganda, Alur, Acholi, Luhya, Gishu, Nyoro, Toro, Kiga, Nkore, Karamojong, Adhola, Soga and Teso.
FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS & HONORS:
2003 GLCA Grant for the Study of Obokano (Gusii
bowl lyre) of Kenya, East Africa
1998 MIT Class of 1948 Career Development Professorship Grant
1997 The Galpin Society Musical Instrument Research Grant
1993 National Endowment for the Arts Research Grant
1987 Dom Moquereau Foundation Scholarship Grant
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ACADEMIC POSITIONS:
July ‘00 – Present, Associate Professor of Music, Wabash College,
Crawfordsville, IN.
July ‘96 – June ‘00, Assistant Professor of Music, MIT,
Cambridge, MA.
1995 – 1996, Lecturer in Music, University of California, San Diego,
CA.
1993 – 1995, Teaching Fellow in Ethnomusicology, University of California,
Los Angeles, CA.
1990 – 1993, Teaching Assistant in Ethnomusicology, University of
California, Los Angeles, CA.
1988 – 1990, Graduate Research Assistant, Ethnomusicology Archives,
University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
1981 – 1986, Lecturer, Institute of Teacher Education, Makerere
University, Kampala, Uganda.
NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS:
1990 – 1996, Artist-in-Residence, Los Angeles Music Center, Schools’
Division, Los Angeles, CA.
1988 Summer, Music Specialist Instructor, St. John's Child Development
Center, Autistic Division, Washington, D.C.
1982 – 1986, Schools’ Music Curriculum Director, National
Curriculum Development Center, Ministry of Education, Uganda.
1979 – 1986, Resident Conductor and Artistic Director, Cacemcho,
Uganda National Choir.
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Galpin Society
African Studies Association (ASA)
Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM)
International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM)
MEMBERSHIP IN PERFORMING GROUPS
2006 to present, Founding and active member of the Flamingo Vibrations
1996 to present, Workshop Presenter and Instrumentalist, Kayaga of Africa
1992 to present, Founder and Artistic Director, Kiyira Ensemble
1989 to present, The African Troubadours, managed and organized by the
New York-based World Music Institute.
CONFERENCES, COLLOQUIA, SEMINARS,
GUEST LECTURES, WORKSHOPS & PERFORMANCES
2006
October 28 -- School of Music, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
(USA). Presented a Lecture/Lecture Demonstration, "The
Adungu (Bow harps) of the Alur of Uganda: Their Evolution, Musical
and Contextual Functions."
April 7 -- Bergen Community College, New York/New Jersey, NY/NJ. Guest Lecture Demonstration and Evening Concert Performance on “Traditional Musical Instruments of Uganda: A Broad Overview.”
April 6 -- Carnegie Hall, Zankel Theater, New York, NY. Presented a Concert Performance on three Ugandan musical instruments including: Adungu (bow harp), Endongo (bowl lyre), and Endingidi (tube fiddle).
2005
Aug. 3-10 -- 38th World Conference of the International Council
for Traditional Music. Sheffield, England, U.K. Presented a Paper,
“Reviving, Reconstructing, and Revitalizing Instrumental Music:
An Examination of New Roles for Ugandan Chordophones.”
2004
October 16 -- Indiana Orff Schulwerk Association, Fishers, IN.
Conducted an 2-hour workshop to the association teachers
at their annual chapter conference.
October 5 -- Humanities Colloquium at Wabash College, IN.
Presented a Talk, “Music, A Powerful Creative Medium
for Mass Mobilization.”
September 2-6 -- International Council for Traditional Music Colloquium
at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Presented a Paper,
“Music and Discord, Articulation Resolution through Music.”
August 20 -- Ides of August at Wabash College.
Presented a Talk, “The Lyre Culture of East Africa.”
March 12 -- Trinity College of Music, London, UK. Presented
a two hour workshop on “The Art of Baakisimba Drumming
of the Baganda.”
February 28 -- Carnegie Hall, New York City.
Presented a Solo Performance in Zankel
Hall on five different traditional East African musical instruments including
endingidi (1-string tube fiddle), akogo (thumb piano),
amadinda (12 slab xylophone), adungu (9-string bow harp)
and endongo (8-string bowl lyre).
February 8 -- Kent State University, Stark Campus,
Stark, OH. Presented a Guest Lecture and Concert
Performance on the “Musical Cultures of Uganda.”
2003
October 15 -- Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA,
Presented a Guest Lecture, “The Lyres of East Africa.”
October 15/16 -- Crossroads Professional Recording Co.,
New York City. Studio recording on endongo
and adungu with Wu Man the pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso player.
September 27 -- Directed the Wabash College Wamidan World Music
performance ensemble at a concert performance at the
Annual Celtic Folk Festival, Cincinnati, OH., .
Summer -- International Folk Harp Conference HarpCon2003, Bloomington,
IN. Presented 2 Workshops entitled: “
Adungu (bow harp) Rhythms,” and “Advanced Improvisation
Styles on the Adungu.
March 20 -- University of Missouri, Kansas City,
MO. Presented a Guest Lecture to the Graduate
and Undergraduate classes on the “Music and Dance of Uganda.”
February 8 & 9 -- Annenberg Center, Pennsylvania State University
Philadelphia, PA., presented 2 workshops and
2 concert performances on the Music and Dance of East
Africa with a special focus on Ugandan cultures.
January 21 -- Wabash College Humanities Colloquium. Presented
a paper on “Engoma (Drums): The
Heart of A Culture in East Africa: Their Meaning and Significance in the
culture of the Baganda (people).
2002
August 4-24 -- Directed a 3-week Faculty/Student Research project
in East Africa. Traveled to Uganda with a Wabash College student;
collaborated in the project of learning how to build Ugandan/African drums
under the apprenticeship of two traditional master musicians drum builders/makers.
July 1-4 -- 17th International Joint Conference by the Musicological
and Ethnomusicological Societies. Catholic University, Leuven,
Belgium. Read a Research Paper “The Migration of
Adungu”. Chaired two conference panels.
March 8-9 -- Bowling Green State University, OH. 2 Guest
Ethnomusicology/World Music Lecturers: Graduate and Undergraduate
classes. Presented a Lecture demonstration to University-wide
audience on the “Music and Dance of East Africa.”
March 22-23 -- Together with visiting artists - Kayaga of
Africa and Kiyira ensemble - presented a full-scale concert program
and two workshops to Wabash College, & Crawfordsville
elementary, middle and high schools.
2001
October 28-29 -- Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY.
Bang-on-A-Can Annual Festival,Concert Performance. Instrumental duet on
the endongo (bowl lyre) of Uganda and pipa (Chinese
lute) by Wu Man.
October 22-26 -- Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference.University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Detroit, MI. Panelist that discussed the “Role
of Academic World Music Performance Ensembles in Colleges.
September 1-3 -- 11th Ugandan National Convention. San Diego,
CA. Presented workshop and concert performance
with the Kayaga of Africa performance ensemble on the "Music and
Dance of Uganda."
August -- Ides of August, Wabash College Presented a
Paper “Endongo: Better Extinct than Different?”
July 1-8 -- 36th International Council for Traditional Music.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Presented a paper, “Endongo,
Bowl Lyre of the Baganda: Better Different than Extinct.” Organizer,
Conference Panel on the "Music of East Africa."
April 2-- Society for Ethnomusicology, Mid-Western Regional Chapter Conference;
University of Cincinnati, OH. Presented a Paper: "Kadongo-kamu:
The IndigenousPopular Music Genre of Uganda"
.
February 17 -- Louisiana State University, LA. Black
History Month, as a member of the Kiyira Trio, presented a full-scale
concert & lecture demonstration on "African
music."
2000
November 3-6 -- Annual Conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology.
Toronto, Canada. Presented a paper, “Kadongo-kamu:
Popular Music Genre of Uganda. ”
October 5-9 -- Elementary, middle, high schools, colleges and city of
Gillette. With members of the Kayaga of Africa and Kiyira performance
ensembles, conducted workshops and performed a full-scale
concert program on "African Music."
June 19 -- Directed the MIT African Music and Dance ensemble (MITCAN)
at the Boston Symphony Hall in a joint concert
performance with the Boston Pops.
March 15 -- Presented a paper, “Endere (reed flutes) of
the Baganda of Uganda” at the Annual Eastern Chapter Conference
of the Society for Ethnomusicology, held at Tufts University, Sommerville,
MA.
February 27 -- Solo Concert Performance on three different
instruments including endingidi, adungu, and ndongo
at the 15th Anniversary Gala Benefits Concert at the City of New
York, Town Hall at the invitation and organization by the World
Music Institute.
February 14 -- Concert Performance on the East African
Instrumental Music at the opening of the New England Aquarium
Adult Members’ evening. The concert program by the Kiyira
trio of which I was the artistic director featured five different musical
instruments including the madinda, ndongo, ndingidi, akogo, and
adungu.
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