THE MUSIC EXCHANGE

Ewan McVicar's 2007 trip to Uganda was undertaken to mark ten years of the Bird Exchange project, which began as a visual arts exchange between children in Scotland and Uganda, and has led to support for a number of education and community projects.

In 2007 Ewan took hundreds of bird images made by Scottish children to schools in Uganda, and exchanged them for images made there. Schools in Kenya and Malawi also contributed to the Great Bird Exchange, which culminated in a grand exhibition of hundreds of bird images for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, November 2007.

The Uganda Organiser of the Bird Exchange, Gailey Turyahebwa, came to Scotland in October 2007at the invitation of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, to take part in their Scottish International Storytelling Festival and to take bird images back. Gailey is assisting the Music Exchange with sleeve and label design for CDs, and plans to develop and record Ugandan storytelling on the Scottish model.

Children Are Crying Songs from Kampala ex-street kids

HOW THE MUSIC EXCHANGE STARTED

In late September 2007 Ewan McVicar was visiting Kampala for the Bird Exchange. One project the Bird Exchange supports is Kids In Need (K.I.N.) which rescues street kids, and children being exploited in dangerous industries. K.I.N. runs two refuges / orphanages, one for 50 boys, one for 50 girls.
As Ewan was being shown round the boys' centre, organiser Robert Ekapu said, "You are Scottish. I would like to know more about Scottish music. You know, the children here have written their own songs, over 70 songs, about their lives and hopes. Some were written to sing to street children to get them to come and trust us. But we have no way to record them!"
Ewan offered to send Robert not just some recordings of Scottish music, but a couple of multitrack home studio recorders which were almost obsolete technology here, but gold dust in Kampala. Microphones, leads, headphones and the necessary high bias tapes (unobtainable in Uganda) were also sent. The carriage and eventual customs duty amounted to four times the commercial worth of the equipment here, but a community recording studio for ex-street kids to record their own songs had been created.

They set to, and recorded over three hours of song and music. The songs on an accompanying CD are the first generation of recordings. Ewan McVicar has 'sweetened' the Hydro Base recordings with extra guitar accompaniments and some reverb.

In Uganda most bands who use guitars (solo, rhythm guitar, bass guitar), drum kits, amplification and compositions by several performers, are labelled Jazz Bands, particularly because of the use of drum kits rather than traditional drums.

The Hydro Base group has given a number of concerts, and basically performs community awareness songs - about Aids, child labour, rights of children, poverty, corruption, street life violence and other such themes.

Hydro Base is an activity of the Kids In Need (K.I.N.) project, which works with ex-street children, children being exploited within dangerous industries, and those at risk. It is an organizational rule that children stay at the K.I.N. project for a year then are re-integrated into their wider families.

Hydro Base Jazz Band is the name given to a group of young people trained in Kampala, Uganda, by Mr. Ekapu John Robert who is from Soroti in North East Uganda. Robert is a social worker by profession, but also a musician, composer, trainer, and now recording engineer. In the K.I.N. project he is known as Uncle Robert, as one of the traditional names used by children in rehabilitation.The work started in 2001, when a number of children were taught elementary music, and also how to play musical instruments. This took a couple of years for them to master.

The group is composed of Ugandan ex-street children receiving rehabilitation, and those from the community who are at risk of going to live on Kampala streets. Robert Ekapu explains that "The name Hydro Base means abase, which sounds nicely like the sound that comes from the ocean water. If you go near any body of water in the evening the sea has got sound which is lovely, so hydro stands for water, then bass the guitar". The name arose from a fishing trip all the group members took together.

The group is called a Jazz Band because the dream of the group is to play jazz music, but in reality the equipment available does not allow this. So Hydro Base now concentrates on 'reggae, Afro beats, slows, then a bit of hip-hop plus the traditional hits

The songs include unaccompanied songs from the composers, two pieces edited by Ewan McVicar from prose writing by ex-street kids, several performed by the Hydro Base band collective, and an additional version of the Generation song recorded in a commercial studio, to show what can be achieved when the resources are obtainable.

As well as the songs given here the Music Exchange Uganda organiser Robert Ekapu has recorded K.I.N. children singing their own songs of welcome and praise and the importance of education.

This was just a beginning. The project needs better equipment, better instruments, funding to send these to Uganda and to pay the heavy level of customs duty. The Music Exchange is working on this. Can you help in any way? Contact Ewan McVicar.

EWAN MCVICAR
Ewan runs his own small recording label called GALLUS. He is treasurer of The New Makars Trust which has created numerous projects in which young Scots write their own songs about where they live, and has himself written over one hundred songs with young people, twenty songs for the Singing Kettle children's show, and several books about aspects of Scottish music. He is also one of Scotland's best known storytellers.

AFRICAN CHILDREN [track 1]

Jay jay jay jay jay

Ee oh ee oh, ee oh ee oh ee oh

Oh, the African children, born like frogs float in a pond

Deep like rubbish in the pit, helpless, parentless

Homeless like a butterfly, we like enjoy our social aspect

Economical and social education, because we are the inhabitants of this world

We are the nation of tomorrow

We are the teachers of tomorrow

We are the doctors of tomorrow

We are the lawyers of tomorrow

We are the parents of tomorrow

We are the leaders of tomorrow

The future of our nation is in our hands

Together we stand, unity we need

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom

No more slavery in Africa, no more torturing in Africa

No more corruption in Africa, no more child abuse in Africa

No more killing in Africa, no more injustice in Africa

No more criminals in Africa

Written, and performed by Joseph Isabirye, Abdalah Nsamba, Frank Iga

FREEDOM : Frank, Robert [track 10]

Many people have died, here in Uganda, many have died.

Those in Kenya have died, in East Africa many have died.

Oh freedom, we need our freedom.

Eh freedom, we fight for freedom.

Freedom oh freedom freedom.

Many people have died, in Uganda we need our freedom,

Northern Uganda we need our freedom, East Africa we need our freedom.

Many people have died, our relatives have died.

My father and mother also died, many people have died.

In America, we need our freedom, in Iraq, we need our freedom

The rappers, East Africa and every where in the world, we cry for freedom.

In Uganda, we need our freedom, in Tanzania, we need our freedom

In Rwanda, we need our freedom.

In Scotlandi, we need our freedom.

Everywhere in the world, we need our freedom.

Before the last verse there is a pause, as singer Frank quietly asks musician Robert to remind him of the name of our country.

CORRUPTION : Abdalah, Frank, Robert [track 9]

People are crying, corruption in the world

People are in prison, without a reason

Let's try to help our nations, cause those we elected are betraying us x2

The ordinary person now depends on the lies,

That you’re carrying out reconciliation,

Yet those in other parts of the country are suffering.

Good jobs should be given to the vulnerable.

Where should the poor ones eat from? X3

Where should the disabled eat from? X3

The more you think, the more problems come your way x2

Some die accidentally, some die of thought,

Some die of famine/hunger, some commit suicide,

Assume if you had some one you were looking after,

My friend you suffer looking for what to eat, drink and to put on,

Yet prices have been increased.

Please leaders, don’t harass us with your tear gas

Cause we elected you to help us!

What you see, that is not necessary,

Please do not destroy those vast forests used to provide rain.

Isabirye Joseph

is 22 year old, from the Northern part of Uganda. Isabirye grew up with only a single parent, his mother. His father was killed in the North by the Lord's Resistance Army. His mother decided to shift to the eastern part of the country, Kamuli District, but unfortunately she failed to find money to cater for their survival.

His mother later decided to dump him on the streets where he stayed for over 5 years. Joseph went through hardships on the streets, including torture by the police, and imprisonment for theft because he stole to get money to eat. Still by good luck Joseph was identified and brought into the Rehabilitation Centre, where it took about three years of rehabilitation.

He became reformed and was enrolled into Primary School, which he completed successfully and later studied at Secondary level up to Senior Four.

Due to meagre funds, the K.I.N. Project sponsored him for skills training in hairdressing. Isabirye developed an interest in Music in his Secondary level education, where Uncle Robert taught him how to sing and to write lyrics.

Joseph's challenge now is that he has lacked anywhere to live since his mother dumped him when he was still young, and he also lacks the capital to start any income generating project.

My name is is Namukasa Jane, I am in Primary five. I go to Mengo Muteesa II Memorial Primary School. My father died when I started P.4. Now my problem is, I have a close family relative who is persuading me to get married at this stage, but at school I have been taught some good values to protect me from HIV. I would like to share them with whoever is interested.

NO PARENTS : Frank and Robert [track 2]

We are crying, we are dying, we have no parents

Father have died, and also mother

Father have died, mother have died, we have no parents

That is why I am singing to you that we have no parents,

We have no parents, even the friends

Where are we going no no no? We don’t have parents!

I pity kids on the streets, where is their destiny?

Even those who lost their loved ones, where are they heading to?

Let us ask God to help us!

Where are we heading to? Let’s help children!

Otherwise, if we don’t, they have no where to go.

And those who to help, leaders should educate them,

Because they are the leaders of tomorrow.

Many children are suffering on the roads,

Because they have no have no help

Leaders educate them please,

Because they are the leaders of tomorrow.

Children are dying, children are crying.

Mother has died, and also my brother.

I went on the streets looking for freedom,

Children are crying and dying.

We thank those who help us. We thank KIN for helping you kids

We thank Mr. Ewan, we thanks all those helping.

Let me go onto my knee to once again to thank those helping orphans, street children.

What can I pay for that? Is just to pray for them.

Then one boy spoke in my language, he had escaped from the war zone too

I became another street kid, life was extremely hard

Until upon one Tuesday morning, some kind people came to us

They gave us food and water, they gave us clothes, they tried to convince us to leave the street

We refused, but they came again the next day, this time some of us agreed

They took us to an orphanage home called Kids In Need, and gave us good bedding

Most importantly they took us to school, this year I complete my primary level

Every day we pray to God that the war in the north comes to an end

And the Lord will bless Kids In Need, And the Lord will bless Kids In Need

Oh, the Lord's Resistance Army

In the name of God they cause such pain

IN THE NAME OF GOD [track 8]

edited by Ewan McVicar from prose writing by three students at Mengo Mutessa Primary School

Oh, the Lord's Resistance Army

In the name of God they cause such pain

My name is Otto John, I don't have two legs

The rebel war has caused such suffering, in the north part of our country

All my parents they are dead, I am all alone

The Lord's Resistance Army, they came and burned the camp to ashes

My name is called Joseph, like the LRA's leader

I escaped from his war, with grandfather and my sister

She and I are very lucky, we have joined an orphanage home

My grandfather sleeps by the roadside, near the big taxi park

My name is Gibolo Moses, I lived in a war zone since I was born

One Sunday morning I stealthily boarded a lorry that carried me down to Kampala

I had never been there, everything looked strange, I walked for hours, then I had luck

Standing round a dustbin were some very dirty boys and girls

I went to join them, tried to speak with them, but their language was very strange

Iga Frank

is 15 years old, from a Ugandan family of nine, three sisters and six brothers, he is the last born in the family. Both his parents died of the AIDS scourge when he was still young. Frank stayed with his grown up brother, who accommodated him for a period but then said he could no longer look after him, as he couldn’t afford any more income for survival.

Frank left owning one shirt, and for a year stayed with his married sister. The sister's husband then declared he could not manage to look after his family and Frank too, so he chased him out of the home. The only option for Frank was the street, where he survived by picking rotten leftovers of food that was thrown into the dustbin. He stayed on the streets for over two years.

By God’s mercy Frank got a chance, and was met on outreach street work, and taken to the K.I.N. Centre for Rehabilitation. Frank after intensive counselling was enrolled into Primary 3 in a school called Nabagereka, and will be sitting his Primary leaving exams in 2008.

He was reintegrated back into his family, and now he is staying with his brother but still with the involvement of K.I.N. Frank joined the music group during his counselling period at the centre, and Uncle Robert taught him how to play a keyboard, guitar, singing, composing and many other musical skills.

He is now one of the best performers in the group. He still has a problem of paying school fees, because K.I.N. must address mounting problems caused by the increasing number of children on the streets.

GENERATION : Nsimbe Charles [tracks 3 & 11]

When I attend funeral celebrations, ma ma ma my, my hope is gone

Coming generation take up arms and fight, coz youth are gone.

Why sentencing future generations to death, AIDS?

You are a killer,

Why the innocent die so innocently, Scourge?

Why babies die? We fed up of crying, say what you want, Scourge,

And set us free, vital people are all dying, while doctors too die

Parents are dying, youth are dying, who will bury them when all die?

You strike all the people, the lunacy, professors, save us Lord.

Coming generation let us apologize to the Lord,

Frankly we are dying, if I can estimate, the Lord is annoyed, let us turn to the Lord.

Cry generation, coming generation

AIDS Scourge is killing your people

Cry generation, AIDS is a killer,

As triumph never, shall go.

When I sing I remember my friends who died of AIDs

We used to sing in reggae style, ma ma ma, but now are dead

No no AIDs, no no Scourge, no no AIDS, we make a bomb, we bomb the Scourge,

Scourge must go, AIDs must go, and AIDS is bad.

A ''big studio' version of this song is track 11 on the CD.

Ssebagala John

is from the eastern part of Uganda. He is the last born of a family of four. His parents separated and he stayed with his mother for a couple of years.

However, due to trauma, Ssebagala decided to quit his family for the streets of Kampala where he stayed for a very long time. He was rescued from the streets by the K.I.N. social workers, and he went through intensive counselling for over 3 years.

Ssebagala was then enrolled into Mengo Mutessa Primary School where he completed his Primary 7 levels. He qualified for the secondary level where he was sponsored up to Senior 4 level.

Later he decided to concentrate on Music, and he went through intensive music training, mainly in lyric writing, composing and singing. This training was done by the help of Uncle Robert and now he is singing with Hydro Base band and other groups.

His main problem now is lack of capital to start some business, in addition he would also wish to go for further music training.

Uganda's main referral hospital is Mulago. We young stars are told that in the 1960's before the political turmoil, Mulago Hospital had enough equipment and enough doctors. Sick people would receive free medical treatment. Nowadays the hospital is just a trash. Sick people go to the hospital just to suffer, there is not enough equipment, not enough medicine, not enough doctors and nurses.

I witnessed all this recently when I lost my elder sister to malaria. When we went to the hospital there was nobody to assist us, doctors and nurses were not caring. When we asked them for medical assistance, the only response was there is no medicine. My sister lay down on the floor in agony until she died.

My name is JOHN OLAKU 14 years.

I am now completing my Primary Level.

Nsamba Abdullah

is 16 years old, from the central part of Uganda, Wakiso district. He is from a family of three but unfortunately his mother died of AIDS.

Abdullah grew up in care of his grandmother, but she became financially impotent to look after him. His father is a soldier whom he fears and who shows no love for him.

So lack of food to eat, and father’s lack of love, forced him into the streets where he stayed for over 2 years, sharing food with the dogs in the dustbin.

He was found by one of the social workers from K.I.N. who brought him to the Centre for counselling, which took over one year. Abdullah was later enrolled into Primary 4 in Mengo Mutessa School, where he studied up to P.6, and was reintegrated into his family, and is currently staying with his stepmother while studying.

Abdullah joined the music group during his counselling period at the Centre, Uncle Robert then taught him how to play guitar and he is one of the group's best guitarists and composers.

My name is Jane Manulasa. I am thirteen years old.

My family has migrated to the Capital City Kampala due to the biting poverty in the countryside, though life there used to be more interesting than here in town. We have a small house, a few chickens and a few banana plantations in the village. The schools here in Kampala have better facilities than in the village. We long for better life.

Abdullah has a dream of becoming a great musician if the chance is given, and if the availability of the funds will enable him go for further music training.
Nsimbe Charles

is 20 years old, and from the eastern part of Uganda.

Nsimbe is from a family of five, he is second last born in the family. He studied in St Peter’s Primary school, Mbikko, Jinja.

His father died of AIDS and he stayed with a single parent. Nsimbe developed an interest in singing traditional folk songs during his primary education, and due to his talented singing he got a scholarship to study in Secondary School.

As I write he has completed his Senior Six levels. The scholarship was offered by Huyslinci, a project that rescues children from the worst forms of exploitative child labour.

Through the help of Uncle Robert, Nsimbe was introduced to Western style music. He learnt how to play a keyboard and to compose, and has composed and recorded a number of songs.

Currently Nsimbe lacks money to push him for further tertiary training for his future.

My name is Jane Nalweiso, I am twelve years old. My mother is forty five years old. She pays for my school fees. I am in class six. One day on 11th January, 2003, my mother went to pay my school fees in the Bank. It is called Stanbic Bank. While in the Bank some fellows came into the bank, pretended they had met friends and they started advising that at Stanbic Kitgum House Branch the queue was not so long. They withdraw from the queue and pretended to leave.

Meanwhile they had colleagues who check to see whether there was anyone who had fallen for their line of a shorter queue somewhere, My mum decided to go and bank the fees there. Unknown to mum, they followed her, fell upon her and wrestled the bag from her and all the money was gone. 1 missed school for the whole year.

SAVE AFRICAN CHILD

- MWANA WA AFRICA : Jane [track 4]

The way I see and look at this world!

Children are facing hard and difficult situations

Where by crying for help night and day

There is no hope for them!

Many are homeless, see them on streets.

Many are abandoned

Many have died, burning them, without a reason!

Many are starved, lack of parental care,

Even parental carelessness giving birth and abandon them

Abortion is the order of the day

Some scarifies them to obtain wealth

This is how African child suffers.

Let’s get together and fight against child abuse,

We’re the ones to make a brighter future

So let us save the children, of Africa for the brighter tomorrow.

Let the new generation seek for their future

Remember the innocent souls,

Remember them crying asking for mercy,

When you were busy killing them,

Let them see, what you see, let them do, what you do.

Let them grow serve the Lord, let them be the leaders of tomorrow.

They mean more to me, they mean more to you.

We have to care for them, at least a little love.

Hear them cry.

CHILDREN ARE CRYING [track 7]

: Frank, Abdalah, Robert

Children are crying because of you

Imagine!

Because of you

African children are crying because of you people,

Your kids are crying because of you.

Why do you torture young kids?

You make the kids to suffer because they are ignorant of the law

You destroy their future!

I have a pity over parents, who suffer, paying their kid’s fees!

And then fools come and rape!

They get diseases, pregnancy and at the end have no help! X2

Try to listen to the cry of children,

And again this is our cry to all the nations.

Children are forced into child labour on top of their own studies!

They get pregnancy and contract diseases without help!

Any problem to a child, remain his/her burden forever!

My question is where is this world heading us to?

PARENTS : Nsimbe Charles [track 6]

Parents, ah ah ah, parents ah ah ah

Politicians, ma ma my, politicians ah ah ah

A big help is needed because these kids suffer a lot

They suffer a lot by politicians; leave them alone, to suffer on streets

They are the future leaders, the future MPs, so vital to our one nation

Look at the situation, where daily, what they eat and dress

Now take heed of what is said unto you, street kids suffer a lot, oh oh

Better mind, children are on the streets, oh ah

Some parents you’re bad, coz you chase them away to streets

Do you feel good when they're on the streets?

Where will you hide from their curses?

Look they cry cry for food, perhaps the mother and father in city rejoicing x2

My name is Jack. I am just nine years. I stay with my stepmother. My biological mother died of AIDs a few months ago. My step mother mistreats me a lot whenever things go wrong. Sometimes she beats me, burns me, ties me. I wish I was not born.

Ugandans are crying, Tanzanians, Kenyans are crying,

Burundians, Rwandans crying, Namibians, Zambians crying.

Ethiopians, Angolans crying, Nigeria crying.

Togo's, Ghana's crying, Benin and Congo crying.

Sudan and Mali crying, Somalians crying.

South Africans crying.

Every where children are crying.

I want to thank all who have the love of children and care for the children

Thank you

Huyslinki Community Initiative, Kids in Need

Save The Children, UNICEF

Children Welfare Commission, ANPPCAN-Uganda

Child Care International,

Friends of the Children, SOS Uganda

And other organisations

Jane

the lyric writer and singer of this song, is 19 years old, and an orphan, both her parents died of the AIDS scourge and she had to move around looking for what to survive on.

She ended up going on the streets at night to look for men who could give something in exchange for sex. She was identified and taken to Huyslinci where her school fees were paid up to Senior four.

Jane later developed an interest in music, she started composing her own song lyrics, and she has managed to record a number of songs. Her aunt is currently taking care of her. Jane's main problem is school fees to enable her to continue with her studies.

TROUBLE [track 5]

edited by Ewan McVicar

from prose writing by Mukiibi Tony

Ah trouble, trouble comes this way

Oh trouble, trouble comes to me

My name is Mukiibi Tony, when I was nine years of age

I became a Kampala street kid, when both my parents died of AIDS

Life on the street is very hard, no water to drink, no clothes to wear

We go to the dustbins for our food, till people chase us away from there

I picked pockets to get some money, to buy marijuana to forget my problems

I suffered many injuries, living on streets like a battleground

Till my aunt came across me one day, she broke into tears when she saw me

She convinced me to go with her, to the little room she rents in town

Ah trouble, stay away from me

She made a deal with Mutessa Headteacher, she could pay only half my school fees

That was all she had to give him, now I could study and learn

Though I have no uniform, no pens, no pencils, no exercise books

At least now I am going to school, maybe my life will take a better turn

No trouble, trouble go away

I don’t want to go back to the streets, life there is trouble-filled

So many street kids live in Kampala, they see hardship every day

Now my aunt seems to be infected with that deadly HIV virus

She too might not live long from now, then trouble will take me away

Ah trouble, trouble comes this way

Oh trouble, trouble comes to me

This lyric is drawn from one of many accounts of their lives by Ugandan schoolchildren which have been published in several short run booklets by the Bird Exchange.