Gender and Court Music Performance
This book’s discussion does not feature any female court instrumentalists and singers because these roles in Buganda have historically been men’s. The court composer-performers introduced in the previous section, all of whom are men, noted during our interviews that before 1966, female drummers did participate in a few private court rituals, such as twin initiations, which selected royals attended.
1Sserwanga interview, July 15, 2005. According to Ssempeke, some of these rituals had restricted attendance, and even the official court musicians were not invited to be part of them.
2Ssempeke interview, July 12, 2005. Women primarily served as dancers, accompanying the music of male singers and instrumentalists. They were critical to court performance, as they helped engage audience members visually, challenging them to use as many of their senses as possible in experiencing performances.
3Ibid. Their movements both illustrated the subject matter of the corresponding songs and emphasized certain aspects of the music; in other words, these women were an entertaining force that enhanced the quality of performances.
4Ibid. Part of the reason women’s musical roles were limited in this way was that culturally it had been inappropriate for them to play any musical instruments whatsoever. This custom had originated long ago when women were restricted to the domestic sphere. They generally did not spend much time outside their homesteads, where they maintained the household and raised their children while their husbands went out in public and worked to earn a living.
5Sserwanga interview, July 15, 2005.Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza reveals that one of the reasons women generally did not play the drums is that they were believed to lack the physical endurance necessary to properly drum for long periods.
6Nannyonga-Tamusuza 2005, 15. The irony of this belief is that dancing, the performance role to which women were typically regulated, often required more strength and endurance than drumming.
7Ibid. Such limitations and general expectations for modesty and demureness among women were the values that formed the basis for the traditions of modern Buganda regarding male and female roles within the court. However, these traditions have faded significantly as late-twentieth-century social developments have continued into the current era. In fact, women’s musical roles have continued to broaden since the mid-1950s. It has not been uncommon to see women performing in public with musical instruments. Sserwanga recounted that during the celebrations that marked King Sir Edward Muteesa II’s 1955 return from exile in the United Kingdom, huge throngs of people lined the streets to rejoice. Everyone in the area, except for the court staff members, showed up to take part in the festivities. Many of the participating musical troupes included both male and female instrument players, and a smaller number was made up solely of women. They were able to actively participate in the celebration of their king, not only as Baganda but also as musicians.
8Sserwanga interview, July 7, 2005.Nannyonga-Tamusuza further shows how today gendering and gender norms continue to weave themselves into even the lives of seemingly inanimate musical or sound objects. Accordingly, many Baganda consider certain drums as male and others as female, with the two types kept together so that the male drums will always protect the female.
9Nannyonga-Tamusuza 2005, 64. The projection of gender norms onto these sound objects indicates the importance of their role in society. For example, performances of
baakisimba—a music and dance genre—separate drumming and dancing parts along male and female lines. Aspects of
baakisimba performance—including costumes, dance movements, drum sounds, and interaction with the audience—are all partially defined by their relation to constructed gender identities.
10Ibid., 1. As suggested earlier, the male-female binary determines who can and cannot play the drums. Nannyonga-Tamusuza maintains that historically, women’s not being able to play the drums is a restriction that men uphold, whereas women generally see no issue with beating the drums themselves. She argues that because the cultural significance of the drum is so strong, denying women the right to play it effectively denies them of their right to be Baganda.
11Ibid., 147. As Buganda continues to develop and encounter different ideas on gender, more and more women have begun playing drums. They are no longer passive in accepting gender roles and are redefining themselves as agents of cultural change in a way that challenges public perceptions of their weakness or subordination. This increase in female autonomy and involvement in the musical sphere has brought more unique voices and varying perspectives among the Baganda. As society increasingly welcomes women into the realm of instrumental music, the responsibilities, rituals, and expectations of the domain will continue to change and grow.