Luganda on air in UK
Are you a Luganda speaker? If you landed in London you will discover that Luganda speakers living in London have made an impact among the minorities nationalities living in UK
By Dan nSalasatta
Are you a Luganda speaker? If you landed in London you will discover that Luganda speakers living in London have made an impact among the minorities nationalities living in UK.
They have launched a live broadcast programme on a London popular Radio Station located in East London. David Wasswa is the producer/presenter behind the broadcast. The following is the excerpt of an interview.
QUESTION:What is the name of the programme?
ANSWER: The programme is called Sanyuka ne Week-End, a two-hour phone-in entertainment programme. It also contains topical discussions, people phone-in from all over the world to send Sunday greetings to their friends, and relatives. Those who call from outside a specified frequency range, join us on the Internet on www.svt.org.uk
Where is it broadcast from?
A:“Sanyuka ne Weekend†programme is broadcast on a local access radio station called Sound Radio, located in East London. The radio frequency is 1503AM/MW and this is the first Luganda programme ever to be broadcast in the UK. It is a very popular programme which began transmission in March 2003. There are several other community programmes on this radio station.
From what time to what time and on which day?
A:It’s a two hours programme, broadcast every Sunday from 15:00-17:00 hours (GMT) 5.00pm-7.00pm (Uganda time).
Why broadcast in Luganda yet we speak so many languages in Uganda?
Yes indeed that’s a very good question. There are many languages in Uganda, but not all of them are being spoken in the UK. There are hundreds and hundreds of ethnic minority languages spoken in the UK, Luganda being one of them.
Unofficial statistics put the number of Ugandans living in the UK at 100,000 people. Most of these people live in London, and the majority of them speak and understand Luganda. So broadcasting a Luganda programme like this one in London is a necessity.
How widely is the language spoken and in what places?
Luganda is being spoken in many places in London. In pubs, markets, streets, in hospitals, at work, etc. The biggest number of Ugandans live in East London.
It is said that Luganda is the 29th ethnic minority language spoken among hundreds of them in the UK. Many people both Baganda and non-Baganda, are earning a living here working in many offices and organisations which need translation and interpretation services.
Just like you find a number of Somalis in Kisenyi in Uganda, which part of London has the most Ugandans?
There is a road called Upton Lane, in East London, which was baptised “Buganda Road†by Ugandans living here. This is where many Ugandans run successful businesses ranging from grocery shops, clubs, barber shops, fashion boutiques etc.
What is your target audience?
As I told you before, we also broadcast on the Internet. Sanyuka ne Weekend is a very popular programme. Many Ugandans phone in and send greetings, from the US, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Holland etc.
In fact, at times I have listeners from Uganda who join our internet site on www.svt.org.uk. So my target audience is quite large and it’s a combination of all age groups. I play music from all parts of Africa including Uganda.
Who are the presenters?
The programme is produced and presented by me. I am popularly known as Ddembe Lyo here in London. Thirteen years ago before I left Uganda, I used to present a programme called Ddembe Lyo on Radio Uganda. I was also the first person to publish a Luganda magazine called Ddembe Lyo in London in 1992. It was also distributed to Europe.
I have also engaged myself in projects encouraging Ugandans in the UK to teach children their mother tongues. Luganda is one of them. You might be interested to know that Luganda is a language that is done both on “O†and “A†level standards here in the UK.
Fred Semugera a re-known enthusiast for promoting Baganda culture in the UK started the project. Every year, Semugera hosts Baganda games which among these include omweso okusika, omugwa, embiro ez’olukeremete, ttena ey’okukisenge among others, where participants contest within their clans.
What qualifications do you have?
Qualifications? Haahahahaha, Dan, am not highly educated. When I left Uganda 13 years ago, I went to London University to read a degree in Humanities specialising in Economics, French and Media Studies. After that I went to City University to read a Masters degree in International Journalism.
How does the Luganda listener in Uganda and in the Diaspora benefit from the programme?
Listeners in Uganda will benefit from this programme because it will be a bridge between the people in Uganda and those in the Diaspora. It will be great tuning your radio in Uganda to listen to your relatives in US, Europe, Scandinavia etc sending you greetings.
Plans are currently underway to link this programme to a radio station in Uganda so that people get a chance of listening to the programme from their radio sets rather than on the Internet. We need your players.
How do you censure the broadcast from being used by dissidents who want to destabilise Uganda and how do you not bias the listener by praising the current government?
This is an entertaining programme. It is not in anyway a platform for any kind of political activism. It is not intended for any political gains. In life, people need to get a break away from politics. My listeners know this because I emphasised it from day one. If anyone wants anything to do with politics there are many other platforms to do so.
Before embarking on this radio business what were you doing for a living?
I have been earning a living as an interpreter of French, and Luganda in places like the Immigration Service, the Home Office, the London Metropolitan Police, the Customs, Local Councils and many more. I am also the Director of AFRO TALENTS PROMOTIONS . This is a sister company of Associated Media Services that published Dembe yo magazine, for promoting African talent wherever they may be.
Wasswa is planning to start promoting Ugandan Art and talents in Europe. He was the first Ugandan to organise Miss East and Central African beauty pageant in London in 1996.
Are you a Luganda speaker? If you landed in London you will discover that Luganda speakers living in London have made an impact among the minorities nationalities living in UK.
They have launched a live broadcast programme on a London popular Radio Station located in East London. David Wasswa is the producer/presenter behind the broadcast. The following is the excerpt of an interview.
QUESTION:What is the name of the programme?
ANSWER: The programme is called Sanyuka ne Week-End, a two-hour phone-in entertainment programme. It also contains topical discussions, people phone-in from all over the world to send Sunday greetings to their friends, and relatives. Those who call from outside a specified frequency range, join us on the Internet on www.svt.org.uk
Where is it broadcast from?
A:“Sanyuka ne Weekend†programme is broadcast on a local access radio station called Sound Radio, located in East London. The radio frequency is 1503AM/MW and this is the first Luganda programme ever to be broadcast in the UK. It is a very popular programme which began transmission in March 2003. There are several other community programmes on this radio station.
From what time to what time and on which day?
A:It’s a two hours programme, broadcast every Sunday from 15:00-17:00 hours (GMT) 5.00pm-7.00pm (Uganda time).
Why broadcast in Luganda yet we speak so many languages in Uganda?
Yes indeed that’s a very good question. There are many languages in Uganda, but not all of them are being spoken in the UK. There are hundreds and hundreds of ethnic minority languages spoken in the UK, Luganda being one of them.
Unofficial statistics put the number of Ugandans living in the UK at 100,000 people. Most of these people live in London, and the majority of them speak and understand Luganda. So broadcasting a Luganda programme like this one in London is a necessity.
How widely is the language spoken and in what places?
Luganda is being spoken in many places in London. In pubs, markets, streets, in hospitals, at work, etc. The biggest number of Ugandans live in East London.
It is said that Luganda is the 29th ethnic minority language spoken among hundreds of them in the UK. Many people both Baganda and non-Baganda, are earning a living here working in many offices and organisations which need translation and interpretation services.
Just like you find a number of Somalis in Kisenyi in Uganda, which part of London has the most Ugandans?
There is a road called Upton Lane, in East London, which was baptised “Buganda Road†by Ugandans living here. This is where many Ugandans run successful businesses ranging from grocery shops, clubs, barber shops, fashion boutiques etc.
What is your target audience?
As I told you before, we also broadcast on the Internet. Sanyuka ne Weekend is a very popular programme. Many Ugandans phone in and send greetings, from the US, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Holland etc.
In fact, at times I have listeners from Uganda who join our internet site on www.svt.org.uk. So my target audience is quite large and it’s a combination of all age groups. I play music from all parts of Africa including Uganda.
Who are the presenters?
The programme is produced and presented by me. I am popularly known as Ddembe Lyo here in London. Thirteen years ago before I left Uganda, I used to present a programme called Ddembe Lyo on Radio Uganda. I was also the first person to publish a Luganda magazine called Ddembe Lyo in London in 1992. It was also distributed to Europe.
I have also engaged myself in projects encouraging Ugandans in the UK to teach children their mother tongues. Luganda is one of them. You might be interested to know that Luganda is a language that is done both on “O†and “A†level standards here in the UK.
Fred Semugera a re-known enthusiast for promoting Baganda culture in the UK started the project. Every year, Semugera hosts Baganda games which among these include omweso okusika, omugwa, embiro ez’olukeremete, ttena ey’okukisenge among others, where participants contest within their clans.
What qualifications do you have?
Qualifications? Haahahahaha, Dan, am not highly educated. When I left Uganda 13 years ago, I went to London University to read a degree in Humanities specialising in Economics, French and Media Studies. After that I went to City University to read a Masters degree in International Journalism.
How does the Luganda listener in Uganda and in the Diaspora benefit from the programme?
Listeners in Uganda will benefit from this programme because it will be a bridge between the people in Uganda and those in the Diaspora. It will be great tuning your radio in Uganda to listen to your relatives in US, Europe, Scandinavia etc sending you greetings.
Plans are currently underway to link this programme to a radio station in Uganda so that people get a chance of listening to the programme from their radio sets rather than on the Internet. We need your players.
How do you censure the broadcast from being used by dissidents who want to destabilise Uganda and how do you not bias the listener by praising the current government?
This is an entertaining programme. It is not in anyway a platform for any kind of political activism. It is not intended for any political gains. In life, people need to get a break away from politics. My listeners know this because I emphasised it from day one. If anyone wants anything to do with politics there are many other platforms to do so.
Before embarking on this radio business what were you doing for a living?
I have been earning a living as an interpreter of French, and Luganda in places like the Immigration Service, the Home Office, the London Metropolitan Police, the Customs, Local Councils and many more. I am also the Director of AFRO TALENTS PROMOTIONS . This is a sister company of Associated Media Services that published Dembe yo magazine, for promoting African talent wherever they may be.
Wasswa is planning to start promoting Ugandan Art and talents in Europe. He was the first Ugandan to organise Miss East and Central African beauty pageant in London in 1996.