Traversing Uganda on a plastic chair

By Shamilla Kara

I enter the open air amphitheater at the Ndere Centre, just in time to hear the emcee promise to take us “across Uganda, seated on plastic chairs.” Quickly, I fasten my non-existent seatbelt, anxious to imbibe the cultural dosage I have come to this melting pot of culture  for. And they do not disappoint as I take it all in, seated at the topmost raised area of the amphitheater. But that is for later, as I hastily search for my notebook.

I have to set a reminder to return to this Kisaasi-based cultural centre soon, to embark on one of their ecological trails I have just been told about, preferably the 10-day Ntogoro dance trail that takes one across northern and western Uganda — my kind of thing. If you are interested in visiting eastern Uganda, they have the Imbalu trail, while the Kitaguriro one covers south-western Uganda.

It seems this place is in the business of transporting people all over Uganda, in person and on a chair. There is the Sunday family show, which starts at 6:00pm and ends at 9:30pm. Then there is the Wednesday and Friday shows, which start at 7:00pm, ending at 9:30pm. I realised these people do not do ‘Ugandan time’, so if you want your ride across the country intact, better do mzungu time.

I scribble fast as the beckoning sounds from the centre of the amphitheatre draw me back into the exuberant traditional performances exploding with colourful attire, oodles of beads and bright fabric on the performers. There is a calabash shake here, a leg rattle there. The leg rattles, locally known as ensaasi or ebinyege, get livelier, spicing those energetic traditional dances, picked from several Ugandan tribes.

Our first stop is Buganda. The nimble dancers throw their legs sideways and on tiptoes work the hairy goat skins around their waists. The skins, also known as akaliba in Luganda, beautifully aid the rhythmic frenzied dance called the Nankasa, Bakisimba and Muwogolo.

The show is peppered by the emcee’s interactive, humourous and yet educative and contextual narration of what’s going on. He blends jokes and clichés with folklore, also urging the audience to participate. By the time the Buganda skit is done, I am sweating, and I do not know why.

I step out into the garden for a breather, and subconsciously get lost in the nature touch afforded me by the huge mature trees and walkways, a lovers’ lane of sorts. Suddenly, I am rustled from my  subconscious by the busy activity of children playing in the children’s fun city. I cannot believe I have walked this far, so I have to run back to the amphitheatre, otherwise I might end up walking the place’s entire nine acres.

At the amphitheatre, the courtship dance from Karamoja has just started. It is wowing all and sundry. Who knew love could involve being chased around ala a rooster chasing a hen? You should see this firsthand to experience the hilarity of a grown woman being chased around by an energetic man in what really comes off as a hustle of sorts, all in the name of love. Whoever said love mellows even the toughest clearly had not visited us!

The dance, Ekaaro, is a courtship kind of dance, leaning more towards a sprint training session. There they are, the dancers bedecked in beads and colourful attire, heartily singing, swaying, dancing and jumping in a loveable touristy manner before I notice a trend: Every once in a while, a girl breaks into a run, and right on her heels, in hot pursuit, is a male dancer, trying to catch her while she dodges, jumps around and slaps him, until they disappear.

Finally, one couple remains. The man does not give the woman breathing space until she starts to adorn him with her necklaces – he has conquered her, he thinks. She eventually breaks into a run that sees them sprint all over the amphitheatre, like Lord rooster and company.

And that is not all, you should experience the Karimojong hug. The emcee calls on audience members to participate in what looks more like the beginning of a fight than a hug. That is love in the Karimojong culture for you. Is all this for real, or it is peppered with exaggeration for effect?

It is unforgettable, trust me. I was also captivated by the poem recital from Nkore, which made me feel like I had been transported back to old times at a king’s court, as we contributed to the recital whenever the old reciter paused. Incidentally, if you were that child that treasured music, dance and drama rehearsals for end-of-term shows, you will feel the excitement build when you realise this is home  to the famous, multi-award-winning Ndere Troupe, and their founder and executive director Stephen Rwangyezi.

This is the same Rwangyezi and his theatre group (they have now grown to 65 dancers), who passionately taught pupils traditional songs and dances in schools. I remember those rehearsal days well, they were a must-attend, even when you were sick. The whole school would be shaking with sounds of different drums and other instruments.

Costumes would be shuffled from  one end to another, you would encounter a mock-spearing at the back of a classroom, a mass jumping on another side, and all the while singers’ voices rising above all that. By the way, did you know the story behind the ‘Ndere’ name? It means fl ute (endere). And if you need to re-enact your  school dancing days in the confi nesof your home, this endere is one of the musical instruments you can pick up at their shop, which is decked with all sorts of instruments and artifacts.

From xylophones, drums, all the way to endingidi (tube fi ddle) and many more, you will be lost for choice, and they are all made on-site. Tourists also get to buy original DVDs and CDs of the troupe before they retire to nurse the muscle aches sustained from participating in the turbocharged dances.

From my entertainment-laced expedition that came along with knowledge about our rich and diverse heritage — our traditions, folklore, cultural values, name it — I think it’s a ride worth taking. Want to try it? An adult Ugandan parts with sh15,000, while children pay sh10,000 each. Foreigners experience this adventure for sh25,000. And if you have a bit of extra cash, you get the chance to taste dishes from all over the country, plus continental ones.