9
“Unadvisable Kayemba”
Advice and Caution
The song “Unadvisable Kayemba” (“Kayemba Nantabuulirirwa”) explores the dynamics of power as well as the violence and tragedy that can arise from poorly managing these responsibilities. Such was the case with King Kayemba (r. ca. 1690–1704), who ignored the advice of others. According to Ssaalongo Kiwanuka Matovu Deziderio (1924–2015), the performer of the version of “Unadvisable Kayemba” analyzed here:
Once, some of King Kayemba’s staff prepared a boat for the leader as a gift. Built from clay, they designed it to dissolve and sink, hoping that he would drown while attempting to cross a lake. On his way to the lake, however, Kayemba came across a flutist playing a tune. He asked him the meaning behind the song. The man sang in reply,
Kayemba Nantabuulirirwa, olisaabala bwa bbumba! (The unadvisable Kayemba, you will row a clay boat!) In a clay boat Kayemba would perish. The flutist then explained that the staff members the king was supposed to meet down the road had prepared a boat for him. He told him that it was made out of clay and that it was meant to murder the king. Shocked at the flutist’s revelation, the king asked him to accompany him the rest of the way to the lake. The flutist played his instrument as the pair set off and traveled down the road. When they arrived at the lake, the welcoming party showed the king the boat they had prepared for his arrival. Kayemba, having just been briefed on the truth behind the boat, praised its beauty. Cleverly, he rejoiced at the gift, claiming that it was so wonderful and, in an act of generosity, the people who had prepared it should be the first to row it, so he instructed them to sit and row. The welcoming party hesitated, clearly nervous. They suggested that it was inappropriate for them to sit in a king’s special boat. However, His Majesty insisted that it was fine to sit in it and row. Unwilling to break the taboo of the land by refusing a direct order from the king, the welcoming party climbed into the boat. As soon as they pushed off the shore of the lake, the boat began to disintegrate underneath them. They fell into the water, drowned, and died. The assassins learned far too late that trying to deceive the king would result in serious consequences.
1Deziderio interview, July 15, 2005.Deziderio’s account highlights how the king historically carries many responsibilities on his shoulders, including communicating, commanding, and deliberating. He must receive, contemplate, and evaluate information to disseminate to his people, and this process reveals his inner character and priorities.
Deziderio’s performance of “Unadvisable Kayemba” lasts only a few seconds, with impassioned delivery and a subtle melody. Considering the piece’s short duration and lack of instrumental accompaniment, this delivery relies on the lyrics’ brevity:
1 Kayemba Nantabuulirirwa, olisaabala obw’ ebbumba!
The unadvisable Kayemba, you will row a clay boat!
2Ibid.The opening phrase of the song’s lyric describes the king, Kayemba, as unadvisable; the second warns him about rowing in a clay boat, implying that his inability to take advice will lead him to ruin (line 1). The conception of the king as unadvisable reflects the importance of mutuality in formulating the leader’s relationships. Accordingly, the song argues for advisability as a crucial factor in a king’s success. Kayemba’s narrow escape represents the many obstacles that kings face as powerful leaders, and the assistance he receives from the flutist demonstrates the role that musicians have in not only guiding the king but in helping avoid obstacles through their unique capacity for foresight. Although the story articulates such sights as fantastical, magical even, the type of sight that the flutist demonstrates is not much different from the kind of sight that court musicians grasp due to the embodied aspects of their performances. The philosophy built into their music means that in many cases, they can perceive what the king and others cannot. They have a unique grasp on the intricacies of reciprocity, a familiarity that their expressive and communicative talent only strengthens. As such, the stories associated with “Unadvisable Kayemba” reflect the musicians’ unique ability to channel the king’s relations through their own experiences and talents, creating an interwoven field of conceptions that can cast the world of interpreters in several new and exciting ways. These interpreters’ world takes on new life as they reimagine the song in the context of their unique experiences.