Phenomenon. Binyaanyaanya is not a genre in the traditional sense. It is a methodology, a way of performing that prioritises immediacy, participation and live adaptation.
Tony Mbaziira walks to the stage, microphone in hand, as the 1998 Bookshelf riddim fills the air. It is a familiar sound – the kind that birthed Sean Paul’s ‘Deport Them’, Beenie Man’s ‘Bookshelf’, and Mr Vegas’s ‘Jack It Up’. For any music lover, the groove is instant recognition. “My name is Mbaziira Tony owe’ Binyaanyaanya,” he announces to a crowd in Ngando, Butambala, District.
The crowd cheers. Then, unexpectedly, they begin to disperse; slipping into nearby bushes. A baffling sight, until they re-emerge moments later clutching tree branches, banana leaves and ragged cloths. Mbaziira, now in the DJ box, raises his microphone and the ritual begins. This is not the DJing of Kampala’s uptown clubs. It is something stranger, older and more electric. This is Binyaanyaanya.
What Is Binyaanyaanya?…………..CONTINUE READING…………..