Transcript Slide 1

Solomon Mbabi-Katana
a strong ethnomusicological background
SOLOMON
MBABI-KATANA
IS
A
COMPOSER
STRONG ETHNOMUSICOLOGICAL BACKGROUND.
WITH
A
ALTHOUGH HE HAS COMPOSED SOME WORKS FOR THE
PIANO, HIS MAIN ACHIEVEMENT IS IN THE EXPLORATION
OF THE USE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS IN
MODERN COMPOSITION. HIS WORKS ARE A DIRECT
RESULT OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
Theatrical and musical works
Mbabi-Katana's Midday Dream is a three- movement
work scored for an ensemble of African instruments,
comprising wood block, cow bells, small drum, big
drum, rattle, xylophone, bow lutes, thumb pianos, pan
pipes and slit drum.
Theatrical and musical works
The composer provides copious notes in the score
describing the instruments and how they are played.
The composer did not indicate how many bow lutes,
flutes or thumb pianos are required and it would be
interesting to see how he deals with the question of
orchestral balance, with regard to these instruments.
The test of multi-ethnicity in African ensembles
The notion of a neo-African ensemble, such as
Mbabi-Katana's, implies the combination of musical
instruments drawn from different ethnic sources.
The coordination of different instruments 'speaking
different languages' within the same ensemble is one
of the tests of creativity which modern African
composers face.
Mbabi-Katana's music is worth studying for the ways
in which he resolves such problems.
His career
 Until his retirement, Mbabi-Katana was a Professor
in the Department of Music, Dance and Drama at
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.