Ssewa Ssewa
( Ssewakiryanga James )
 
Ssewa James leads his audience into the enticing and soulful African music culture with traditional instruments, songs and stories from his homeland, weaving these traditions together with a modern and global sound.  Ssewa Ssewa is a Ugandan born world and folk music artist, multi-instrumentalist, Mentor, Teacher/instructor of Ugandan Music and Culture, music writer, story teller and founder/director of Janzi band one of Uganda’s top Bands.
 
Ssewa’s performances feature an array of instruments, including: JANZI Ugandan/African traditional instruments like Endongo (Bow Lyre), Adungu (Ugandan Harp), Endigidi (Tube Fiddle), Akogo ( Thumbpiano), Amadinda (Xylophones), and Engoma (Ugandan traditional drums).
 
“I have been entrusted with a tremendous privilege.” Ssewa Ssewa
 
Born in 1987 in Kampala, Uganda, to a musical family, Ssewa Ssewa began his artistic journey as a young boy, and has since attended a number of musical Journeys and experiences; he has visited many countries, and entertained audiences in hundreds and thousands in Uganda and around the world. Ssewa founded Janzi Band in 2009 to extend his artistic mission with a collection of Uganda’s most celebrated instrumentalists/musicians.
 
Through performing Ugandan folk and World Music, Ssewa is privileged with entertaining audiences at home and abroad. His music is a cross-cultural marriage between Uganda and the World, which seeks to reassert Ugandan traditions while modernizing and interweaving them with jazz, folk, soul and other international genres to renew the spirit within his indigenous culture.
 
Reflecting on Ugandan Music within World Music led Ssewa to to re-design/innovate the Legendary Adungu, and this inspired him to design new instruments like the Janzi, a uniquely designed instrument.
 
Along his journey, Ssewa has collaborated with many musical friends and mentored Ugandan youth, sharing how the power of music can give back to communities, while restoring lost cultural pride. Ssewa believes that the next generation of artists can harness the power of music to nurture bring unity and restore Ugandan culture for generations to come.
 
Janzi Band brings a remarkable energy to Kampala hotspots and international festivals, while Ssewa’s solo performances offer an intimate and educational experience, perfect for small venues, museums and cultural centers.

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