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“The Handsome Catch a Slight Squint”
False Praise
Originally composed for King Ssuuna II (r. ca. 1824–1854), the song “The Handsome Catch a Slight Squint” (“Empujjo Zikwata Balungi”) illustrates false praise, a strategy through which his court musicians changed their political circumstances. The musicians used the song to assuage the vanity of the king, as its lyrics deceitfully praised Ssuuna II’s handsomeness. Before performing his rendering of “The Handsome Catch a Slight Squint,” Mukasa Kafeero (b. 1971) narrated its historical context as follows:
Ssuuna II, having inherited his father Kamaanya’s quick temper, enacted several wars; however, Ssuuna II was more successful than Kamaanya in achieving peace. He was also prone to rage that occasionally led him to enact violence, usually execution, against those who displeased him. Many of his subjects knew him as a man of festivities who took it upon himself to always celebrate with his people. Ssuuna II himself was a musician, and many believed that his support of court music might have been the strongest out of any of the kings of Buganda, evident from his active participation in certain performances; in fact, the only quality that appears to have rivaled the king’s anger was his love of music. His reign witnessed great innovations in musical practice.
From childhood, Ssuuna II loved performing music and was rather good at playing the Kiganda notched flute (endere). He played constantly, sometimes to the annoyance of his elders. They would chide him for ceaselessly playing the flute, commenting that one day it would disappear. Ignoring their admonishments, he named his flute Lumoonyere (Ceaseless). The name caught on, and soon people began calling anyone who was acting incessantly Lumoonyere, after the king’s flute. Whenever young Ssuuna II’s elders attempted to take and hide his flute, he would simply whistle instead. His whistling was as incessant as his flute-playing, and he imitated its sounds well.
It was impossible to tell by sound alone whether Ssuuna II was playing the flute or just whistling, as such was the extent of his skill. After becoming king, however, it was no longer acceptable for Ssuuna II to play about with his instruments as he had done before. Instead, he now had court musicians who would play for his enjoyment. He never allowed anyone to whistle in his vicinity, as he considered whistling a marker of his childhood and perceived those who whistled in his presence to be mocking his former childlike behavior. Ssuuna II himself, however, continued to whistle. He became popular for adding his own improvisations to whatever drumbeats or musical parts performers would play at his court. The Baganda came to refer to this whistle as the giver (oluwa) because Ssuuna II, whenever he was enjoying music or organizing performances among his people, would use his whistle to give the players keys of songs; often, Ssuuna’s whistle would initiate the tune.
During Ssuuna II’s reign, around 1844, the first Arabs, led by a man named Ahmed Bin Ibrahim, came to Buganda. When they first arrived at his court, they presented Ssuuna II with many gifts, one of which was a woven tunic (ekkanzu). Because of this, some Baganda believe that Ssuuna II was the first Muganda to wear a cloth garment. To help him admire himself in his new attire, the Arabs also brought with them a mirror. Having never used a mirror before, Ssuuna II was startled to discover that he had a squint, or a lazy eye. For all his years, his subjects had often praised him for being handsome, and yet he did not understand how a lazy eye could possibly be deemed so. Angry that his court singers had lied to him, he called them to assemble before him immediately. He asked why they had mocked him and been sarcastic, flattering his vanity when in fact he had a squint. He ruled that Kkunsa, his rather infamous royal bodyguard (omumbowa) and prosecutor, should execute them for their insolence.
As he led the musicians away from Ssuuna II, Kkunsa pulled out his sword, eager to begin carrying out the sentence. But first, he ordered one of the musicians he was taunting to explain himself to the king. The man explained to Ssuuna II that what he had noticed in his eyes was not a squint. He added that the king was not cross-eyed and that the ugly, the lowly, or the common folk would never have what he had; rather, only the handsome and members of the royal family would catch Ssuuna II’s particular feature. The man further explained that the feature distinguished the handsome royal from the masses, marking him as uncommonly handsome. This performer’s words pleased the king greatly and eased his anger. As a result, he forgave the ensemble for their apparent transgressions. In the jubilation of having been able to save themselves from a terrible fate, the performers organized themselves at once and quickly composed a song. Accompanying themselves with the bow lyre, flute, and every other instrument they could muster, they began to sing,
Empujjo zikwata balungi (The handsome catch a slight squint).
1Kafeero interview, July 28, 2005.Although monarchical leadership may seem to be an individualistic pursuit, the foregoing story shows that the Baganda people found successful leadership on the mutual rule of the king and his numerous aides. The relationship between Ssuuna II, the prosecutor Kkunsa, and the court musicians exemplifies this arrangement. Whereas Kkunsa seems to reflect the anger and rage of the king, the musicians represent the leader’s more celebratory and forgiving attitudes. These aides serve as extensions of the king, revealing that leadership cannot be contained within a single body. In this sense, to lead is to become inundated in a series of relations that are inextricable from each other. This is especially true when considering how Ssuuna II’s musicians respond to his anger. Rather than simply turning on each other and accepting death, they pursue a resolution that they think will satisfy the interests of the kingdom and themselves equally. To them, supporting the kingdom and themselves means supporting the office and duties of the king.
Ssuuna II’s love of whistling demonstrates the extension of the king’s engagement with music beyond pleasure, embodying an active, reciprocal, and intimate process of exchange. Additionally, it facilitates his participation in the performances of his court musicians, thus activating social fabric through which the king entwines himself with them. By engaging creatively with the process of producing song, the king is also taking part in conversing with the musicians, involving himself in the story-making process. Overall, Ssuuna II’s musicality plays a profound role in his success as a leader.
Given the parallels between his and his father’s temperaments, Ssuuna II’s willingness to embrace the wisdom of the court musicians guides him to success. Beyond assisting court performers, his own musicianship has an impact on his philosophy and, thus, his rule. In addition, the musicians’ skill with language plays a substantial role in easing the king’s anger. Beyond being a useful tool for flattery, their skill garners them a great deal of respect and trust from the king. This allows them to change his decisions and guide his thinking without his giving their motives a second thought. Providing more than entertainment in the court, the performers and their songs influence the king’s decisions, and thus all the kingdom’s politics.
Kafeero’s performance of “The Handsome Catch a Slight Squint” is very brief, featuring the line from which the song takes its title, which he performs without instrumental accompaniment. Lacking a clear melodic or rhythmic pattern, the performance seems to emphasize the song’s text.
The brief lyrics of “The Handsome Catch a Slight Squint” illustrate how musicians might manage a leader’s temperament, influence his decisions during crises, and guide him to greater success. In doing so, the text creates a multiplicity of meanings, as leadership becomes a matter of cooperation and manipulation, influenced by the relative vanity or humility of leaders.