Albert Ssempeke was a musician known for

Baganda Music Baganda music is a music culture developed by the people of Uganda with many features that distinguish African music from other world music traditions. Parts of this musical tradition have been extensively researched and well-documented, with text ...

. He was also a royal musician to the

Kabaka of Buganda Kabaka is the title of the monarch, king of the Buganda, Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda, they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and the othe ...

, presumably

Mutesa II of Buganda Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II (19 November 1924 – 21 November 1969) was a Ugandan royal and statesman who served as the first president of Uganda from 1962 to 1966, when he was overthrown by Milton O ...

. Albert's album ''Ssempeke!'' is music from the pre-independence era of

Buganda Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...

. At age 11, Albert began playing the endere flute. He was tutored by the royal flautists and rose as a court musician. He also added the

lyre The lyre () (from Greek λύρα and Latin ''lyra)'' is a string instrument, stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the History of lute-family instruments, lute family of instruments. In organology, a ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s, and the eight-stringed kiganda harp to his repertoire. After the kingdom of Buganda was dissolved by

Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985. A Lango, ...

, royal music declined because many refused to play it. The reign of

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...

led to its further decline when many people fled. By the 1980s, most people had either forgotten royal music or died, which left Albert as one of the last royal musicians, making him of interest to ethnomusicologists. In 1987, he was invited by Peter Cooke to be a ''Musician in Residence'' at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

References

*Kafumbe, Damascu
The Kabaka’s Royal Musicians of Buganda-Uganda: Their Role and Significance during Ssekabaka Sir Edward Frederick Muteesa Ii’s Reign (1939-1966)
The Florida State University DigiNole Commons, Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations, 2006.

External links

* All musicbr>WOMAD biographyA tribute to Albert Ssempeke
Also, you can listen here to samples from his album. Ugandan musicians Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people {{Uganda-bio-stub