Katokye
Saturday
Ever since being a young boy, Katokye dedicated his life to traditional songs from the Bahima (Western Uganda). He roamed his homeland to refine his art and now—in his mid-50s—he is one of the most talented traditional singers in the region. Specialising in ekyeshongoro (which literally means song) Katokye improvises disarticulated short poetic sentences conveying morsels of impressions, reflecting on family, the history of the region, or its landscapes where the iconic longhorn cows graze gracefully. Backed up by a second singer who improvises on his verses, Katokye overlaps his voice with theirs to provide a continuous vocal flow that could well stretch beyond 20 minutes, transforming the moment into a long meditative experience.
