Akalulu - We Are One
Chris Brotherston (tenor)
I travel solo, usually. However I have discovered a company that travels in small groups to some of the countries that merit a native guide to fully appreciate them. So January this year saw me travelling to Africa, Uganda to be precise. The trip was to be a mixture of work and pleasure. "The Real Uganda" is a company that starts up projects throughout Ugandan villages using some of our travel dollars and some of our labour. During our first week it was planned to involve us quite thoroughly in 5 of these projects.
I would like to share some of my adventures with you during the coming months, if I may, beginning with how music and dance is incorporated into everyday Ugandan lives.
My Introduction to Uganda
In return for our hard work we were to learn about the everyday lives of the people, usually women, and join in with their ordinary day to day tasks and I was most excited about meeting the village ladies who were to teach us to dance. What I didn't realise is that I would be immersed in song and dance in every village we visited.
Singing is more common that talking. Everyone sings from the moment they can talk. In fact the two are difficult to separate. There is a word that is used spontaneously during most of the songs, "Akalulu". It's literal meaning is "a lot" as in an auction but it now translates as "the unit" and means "we are one".
At every village the welcome was different; at the first it was overwhelming, bringing one of the ladies in our small group to tears. Hosts of brightly dressed women and young girls were streaming down the hill and we were surrounded by women singing and dancing around us before we could get down from the bus, tying scarves around our hips and waist which were decorated with anything that rustled or tinkled or enhanced movement. The lower on the hips the better to show off your dancing skills and all the time embracing us as they did so and singing right at you.
And the children came and waved and laughed and touched and asked for photos.
I was disappointed the next day when at this village the welcome was quite subdued. I was to learn that every village has their own style of welcome. Here there were smiles and embrances then we were led to a central clearing where the young ladies danced for us accompanied by men playing drums.
We always talked with the ladies, using our guide as an interpreter, introducing ourselves and they took their turn to tell us their age and how many children and grandchildren they had. They were always amazed that our group had nowhere near as many children and that some had no grandchildren at all.
It was apparent that everyone dances from the moment they can walk. However, only the younger males join with the women; the men preferring to dance for each other or play instruments.
The important women led the singing. She spontaneously would start to sing a song and cared not how many answers she received, although she never waited long for the retort. No self conciousness here because from as early as they could remember they heard song and joined in. Oh, how hard I tried to copy their words but had to be content with humming a snippet or two of whatever tune I could catch and clapping and grinning from ear to ear.
No one voice was special but it is not the purpose of their song to entertain anyone other than themselves. The ladies sing to greet a visitor; they sing to say goodbye; they sing when they cook, collect wood or water; they sing on the way to the fields. Impromptu dance broke out several times during our work with them in the fields swiftly followed by song. They call to each other across the fields "Akalulu" so that they can all go home together safely.
I got to dance more times than I can remember and it was always a joyous celebration - of themselves, their community, of life itself, but most of all to show appreciation to us for coming to visit their homes
I was reminded every day whilst in Uganda of the feelings I have when I sing in a choir and their word "Akalulu" is now a firm favourite in my own vocabulary. Watch out! Maybe you will hear it during one of our performances?