why Ankole is the most proud Tribe in Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Ankole Kingdom is one of Uganda's most prestigious kingdom making it one of  the popular tribes.This unique kingdom is found in western Uganda and its part of the Bantu speaking people.The kingdom has produced numerous men and women that have strongly served the country and many prominent leaders like the current president of Uganda( HE. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni).

Ankole cattle

Today,the Ankole culture has greatly spread throughout the countery and this is because of the increasing migration of the Ankole people from the west of Uganda to Kampala city ( capital city of Uganda) in search for jobs.In Uganda,the Ankole peole are one of the leading proud tribes in Uganda and this is evidenced when a Munyankole moves to a different area with people of different culture.Instead of trying to learn the new language,he/she will continues speaking Ankole language which is not the case with some Ugandan tribes.Many other tribes instead of speaking their mother languages proudly while in Kampala (Buganda),they speak Luganda but Ankole people are known for their language love.

Ankole people are basically cattle keepers and this is why their land is referred to as a "land of milk". They mainly survive on this cattle and they are the leading suppliers of milk in Uganda.This increases income in the kingdom as they sell  milk from different parts of Uganda.

The kingdom' s richness started way back when the king owned all the cattle,land and theoretically all the women.This instilled a sense of fear among the Ankole people in that they were not allowed to sell cattle without notifying the king.

Today,it has become quite expensive to marry a girl from the Ankole tribe because of the expensive dowry that is asked by the girl's parents.It is a common practice that the girl's parents ask for cows as dowry for their daughters.

We can arrange a cultural Safari for  you and you get to see how these proud people of Uganda live plus witnessing some of their cultural practices like:

• Traditional weddings
• Traditional dances
• Coronation ceremonies
• Burial ceremonies

The Biwagala dance of Basoga people - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

        

Biwagala dance is one of the most common cultural dances in Uganda and it is believed to have been started in the early quarters of the 18^th century. This dance is mainly performed by Basoga ethnic tribe of Uganda found in the East. Basoga people are fond of this dance and it is so interesting that a person is persuaded to concentrate. This unique dance is performed on Biwagala music.

Basoga men playing Biwagala sound

The dance used to be performed in the king’s palace back in the days but today, it s performed at various cultural ceremonies. It was performed to entertain the Busoga king’s visitors.

After the amalgamation of Busoga’s  chiefdom into Busoga kingdom in the early 20^th century,Biwagala dance was adopted as the kingdom’s royal dance plus Biwagala songs as the Kingdom’s royal songs. This continued up-to-date and at every Busoga cultural ceremony, this dance has to be performed. Some of the functions where it is performed include; cultural weddings, funerals, traditional prayers and cultural cerebrations.

Biwagala songs are meaningful and they are based on different situations like poverty, good harvest, leadership, marriage, acceptable norms and practices.

How Biwagala is performed

The major instruments used while performing Biwagala dance are trumpets. Biwaga means gourd trumpets in Lusoga and this is why these instruments are used. The trumpets are blown carefully to produce a rhythmic sound (song) on which the dance is performed.

The order followed is that one trumpet is blown and others follow. After the trumpets, drums are played, songs are sung and lastly the dance comes in.

Dancing is done in line and dancers keep on changing their positions in a circular form. Just like 

Baganda, Basoga also tip-toe while dancing and rotate their waists in a circular motion. Some people prefer clapping so as to maintain a rhythmic follow of the dancers.

The singing is kept on a low tone to enable the trumpet sound stand out which makes the whole performance magnificent.

Languages spoken in Uganda - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Uganda is one of the African countries with the highest number of ethnic languages.This is as a result of the many ethnic groups that are found in this East African country.The total recorded number of languages spoken in Uganda are 40 and they mainly fall into 3 families including the Bantu,Central Sudanic and Nilotic.
Though English is taken as an official language in Uganda,it was inherited from the colonial government (British).
Currently with the East African integration,Swahili has been adopted as the region's important language because it is widely known and easy to learn.

Among the Bantu speaking people of Uganda,there are various languages that are spoken and these include,Lutooro for Batooro,Luganda for Baganda,Lusoga For basoga,Lunyankore for Nkole people,Lukiga for Bakiga,Lugisu foe Bagisu and many more.These Bantu languages have common dialects and common words that make them sound related.

The Eastern Sudanic has go several languages too that are represented by various Nilotic languages like Karamojong people speak Bari language and Teso people speak Ateso.Others include;Acholi, Adhola language,Langi and Kumam language.

Initially,English was the leading promoted language in Uganda and every Ugandan strived hard to learn this colonial language but Swahili has started taking course.Initially,Swahili was being used by police men and soldiers but today,it is being taught in schools and this has led to a rapid spread of the language.
The introduction of the Swahili language was seen as threat by the Baganda people as they thought that it could lead to an end to Ganda language and therefore,they advocated for English to bemade as the official language.On top of that,they started teaching Luganda in schools too.

Luganda is one of the most commonly used languages in Uganda and it is hard to find a person in Uganda who can not speak at least a Ganda word.The location of Uganda's capital city (Kampala) in Buganda has also led to the wide spread of Luganda in the country since everyone who visits the city is enticed to lern the language.

However,Luganda's spread has s not ruled out the fact that Swahili is Uganda;s national language.Ugandans are now more focused to learning Swahili than Luganda.

Uganda's ethnic languages are easy to learn and many visitors find them selves speaking some of the common languages in Uganda.

Buganda's traditional dances - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Buganda is the largest Bantu  ethnic group in Uganda and it was the first group to get civilized.The Kingdom of Buganda is compossed of numerous clans each with its own totem.They are mainly found in the central region of Uganda where the capital city (Kampala) is found.

Baganda dance

Baganda people have got very many local songs and different types of dances done depending on the ceremony taking place.These dances are said to have originated from the clans during the early days.Each clan strived hard to get it's own dance in order to be more unique than other clans.Today Buganda has the highest number of traditional dances than any other tribe in Uganda.

In Buganda,traditional dances are done on various grounds like; Churches (when praising God),celebrating life-cycle rituals and rites,celebrate a good harvest,labor celebrations and achievements,population education,a way of earning a living and some people do it for rcreation purposes.
The uniqueness of Baganda dances has attracted tourists from different parts of the world who enjoy and sometimes join the dancers.

Though there are various dances in Buganda,the most common dances are 3 and these are;Muwogola,Nankasa and Bakisimba.The most common attribute about all of these dances is that they involve a circular movement of the waist,moving on toes and spreading of hands in either forward or upward motion.These dances are done on sounds from the drums and each dance has its special sound on which its being performed.Singing and dancing must follow the beats from the drums.


A cultural safari to Uganda is one of those experiences that a visitor can never forget because of these Baganda dances.Women put on beautiful costumes that cover their shoulders  and a wide free kikoyi that allows free movement of the legs.On their waists,they tie a sash that improves the visibility of the moves as the waist is being rotated.
For the case of male,they put on kikoyi too and this only covers the mid calf so as to allow vigorous dance moves.Men do the energetic part of the dance by side kicking and staggering as if they are drunk.

Baganda use various types of African instruments to produce rhythmic sounds like drums of different sizes (Empunyi-that produces a central beat,Namunjoloba-a small drum,Embuutu-large drum,Enjalabi-acylindrical long drum,Amadinda-xylophones,Endigidi-tube fiddle,Entongoli-boe lyre,Enombe-horn,Ensaasi-shakers and Endere-fluite.

These dances are respected in Buganda and Baganda children are taught how to dance at an early age.It is rare to find a Muganda man or woman who can not dance any of the Baganda dances.
A visitor can always visit Uganda during any time of the year and enjoy these dances live.

Bunyoro culture - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Banyoro people are part of the bantu speaking people and they are found in western Uganda in the districts of Kibale,Masindi,Kiryandongo,Buliisa and Hoima.Their origin is the same as that of other Bantu people and are believed to have come from the Congo region.

The Banyoro people have a unique culture that is portrays the true African culture because of their way of living. Some of the unique cultural practices of these people include;

 

The Omukama (King)of Bunyoro

Naming

When a child is born in Bumyoro,the child’s parents or grand parents are supposed to choose a suitable name for him/her. This name is based on the clan that the child belongs to. Incase of twins, there are special names that are used and a traditional ceremony for the naming has to be done. Names are based on various aspects like death,poverty,spirits,sorrow and many others.

There are also names that are given to children and they don’t belong to their clans but stating any situation in the community. These names state the situation in which the parents are in and in most cases, clan elders must be consulted.

Marriage

Marriage is another special traditional activity that Banyoro people are fond of. The most families in Bunyoro are polygamous with one man and many wifes.Unlike other tribes in Uganda, in Bunyoro,bride price can be paid after marriage when the couple ha settled. They do this to allow the man to first get enough funds and at the same time looking after his family.

 The process of marriage starts from a boy and a girl coming to a mutual agreement and then later informing their parents.If the parents are comfortable with the ideal(specifically the girl’s parents),then plans for a traditional wedding starts.The traditional ceremony is funded by the groom and the bride’s role is only consent. In Bunyoro,a  boy is not supposed to marry a girl from his clan and likewise.

Political set-up

Banyoro people have a centralized system of government with a leader known as the “ Omukama” who commands respect from his kingdom. The kingship is hereditary. The king is helped by his chiefs who head various regions of the kingdom in running the affairs of the kingdom. The king organizes traditional meetings with his chiefs and the chiefs are supposed to update him about what is going on in their respective regions.

Another traditional activity that is done by the Banyoro people is the Empanga ceremony. This is carried out when a new moon is seen. People gather at the king’s palace, sing and dance to the rhythms from the played drums and other wind instruments.

The Lugbara People - Cultural Safaris in Uganda

Lugbara culture is the largest culture in East Africa and in Uganda,it is 4.2% of the total population,making it one of the largest ethnic group.

A Lugbara girl leading a cultural dance

Where are they found?
In Uganda,the Lugbara people are  mainly found in the west Nile region on the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.Among the districts in Uganda where these people are found include;Koboko,Nyadri,Arua and Yumbe districts.

What is the origin of the Lugbara people?
 The Lugbara People are believed to have originated from Sudan and their initial place of stay was Rajaf in Juba region.History has it that the first people in Lugbara culture were Gboro and Meme and these 2 people were supernatural.Meme got pregnant and it is believed that its God who filled the womb with the kids.Time reached and Meme gave birth to twins and they were named  Arube(boy) and O'duu (girl)..Unlike their parents,these twins were normal human beings and they lived a normal life.

As the wins grew up,they got married to each other  and they produced kids.These kids multiplied rapidly by producing other kids and as time went on,the Lugbara people had started their existence.
There several other tales about the origin of the Lugbara people but this is the most common one.

Their way of living
Lugbara people are mainly farmers ( cultivate rear livestock and poultry). You can also refer to them as settled subsistence farmers.They mainly keep guinea fowl and grow cassava which is their stable food.Other cultivated crops include;millet,legumes,sorghum,pigeon peas and other root crops.
Lugbara people are also great hunters and they use bows and arrows to kill the animals.
They mainly speak madi  which is divided in
to very many dialects like Ayivu,Aringa,Terego,Maracha and Vurra which are easily understood by others.

Marriage
In the early days,courtship was not common and the boys had no powers in choosing their partners.Instead their fathers chose a girl for them to marry.
It is of recent that this has changed and the boys can make their own choices when it comes to marriage.The boy is expected to pay bride price before he is allowed to go with the groom.

What is the political setup among the Lugbara people?
Lugbara people are divided into clans each with a clan leader who commands respect from his people.There is an overall leadr knows as Ozoo-Opi who heads the whole kingdom.All the chiefs are supposed to report to him regularly.

Cultural Dance
The Lugbara people have a unique way of dancing and their dances include;

• Agwara Dance-This dance is mainly done on sounds from local trumpets.The women dance while the men play these trumpets (horns) jumping in a rhythmic style.This dance is so interesting and it requires someone to have energy.
• Gaze-this is the most common Lugbara dance.It is mainly done by the touths and it reflects transition of dance movements into style.

Bagisu People - Cultura Safaris in Uganda

Commonly known for their unique cultural practices,Bagishu people are part of the Bantu speaking people found in Eastern Uganda on the east and south halves of Mt.Elgon.They are also known as the Bamasaba and they are about 4.5% of Uganda is total population.
The Bagisu people speak Lugisu language also known as Lumasaba language and it is understood by some tribes in Uganda including the Bakusu.

One of the most outstanding cultural activity done by Bagisu people is Imbalu (male circumcision).This is a seasonal activity that is done around August of every year.

History about Bagisu people

There is no clear history about the origin of the Bagisu people.The believed story is that their ancestors known as Sera and Mundu came from one of the caves on Mt.Elgon and they were the first people on this land.Innitially,the lifestyle of the Bagisu was survival for the fittest and elimination of the unfit and they were unsocial compared to other tribes.
Some history states that Bagisu were part of the Bukusu people that are found in Kenya.They decided to separate away from the Bukusu people in the 19th century.However,it is believed that the first group of Bagisu arrived in their present land in the 16th century.
Though they have different tells about their origin,they are part of the Bantu people and their processors should have been Bantu speakers as well.

Kingdomship and polical organization
The Bagisu people are organised in clans clans and each clan has a clan leader known as Umwami wa Sikoka (meaning the leader of the clan).Age is the main factor that is considered when choosing a clan leader since old men are considered wiser than the young men.Another factor considered is wealth.They believe that a rich man will help the poor people and therefore he is more suitable for the clan leadership.

Imbalu(circumcision) in Bugisu

Boys lined up for Circumcision

Circumcision is the leading unique social custom of the Bagisu people and when you mention the word Imbalu in Uganda,the first thing that comes into the mind of a Uganda is the Bagisu culture.This cultural practice has no specific origin and there are many stories about its origin.One of them states that it originated from the demand by the Bampa who forced a young Mugisu man to get circumcised before taking their daughter.Another belief states that the prractice was used by the ancensters to punish wrong doers in the tribe.This practice continued till now.




The practice is done so as to initiate boys into men.If a man is not circumcised,he is taken to be a cowered and he is not allowed to marry any girl from this tribe.It is after circumcision that someone is called a true man.This practice is a way of cleaning the boys who are considered to be unclean.

This cultural activity is seasonal and it is mainly done in August.


Other rituals carried out by the Bagisu are;
If someone gives birth to twins,the gods must be surmoned and fowl is given to them by the medicine man.This is to beg the gods to keep the twins safe and alive.After the ritual ( after 2 days),the twins' heads are shaved  and their finger nails trimmed.
Another ritual is done if a one murders another.The murderer has to slaughter a goat and smear its blood on his chest.

Marriage
In Bugisu,no man is allowed to marry a girl from the same clan.To avoid confusion,girls starting from the age of 12 are supposed to mark foreheads with keloids to show their clan.
The bride is supposed to pay dowry to the girl's parents before he is allowed to take the groom.
It is after paying all the requirements that the bride can take his groom to their new home.

There is no doubt the Bugisu has the most adventurous culture that will put a wondering look to the face of any visitor, and so you need to come to Uganda and see these enchanting people.