18 “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly”

The advisory and commentator roles of court musicians that Sserwanga explains here shed light on how the Kingdom of Buganda has historically tasked musicians with informing and guiding new kings during and beyond their coronations. In this sense, we can understand “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” as an informative piece on the history of the kingdom. Sserwanga’s narrative further demonstrates how Buganda never forgot the relationship of mutuality despite the overthrow of her kingship. These dynamics contrast with the current regime as well as with King Ssuuna II’s rule discussed in previous chapters. In both instances, the people were unhappy with their rulers and wished for their deaths. After Ssuuna II died, they celebrated his passing subtly. With Muteesa II’s kingship, on the other hand, his musicians maintained ultimate loyalty to the king. Court performers functioned as extensions of both the people and the king. They felt this social responsibility so deeply in their work that after the 1966 attack on the court, they rushed to protect their instruments. Simply put, preserving the fabric of the kingdom meant preserving the music. This context allows us to understand “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” as a model for governance that leaders might draw on to better contextualize contemporary governmental practices. Whereas we might expect a kingship to be coercive system with the king’s followers obeying him out of either passivity or greed, in Buganda we see that even after the king’s fall, many civilians remained deeply loyal to the kingship. Therefore, the rule that Muteesa II provided was mutual and, in several ways, more democratic than the rule that today’s elected leaders enact. Despite Muteesa II’s hereditary right to leadership, the people still legitimized, or “negotiated consent,” to his rule.3I borrow the idea of “negotiated consent” from Lonsdale 1992, 281.

Some of the lyrics that Sserwanga references in his account evoke multiple meanings related to different contexts. For instance, lyrics about the king’s displacement describe a diplomatic excursion to Europe, while at the same time suggesting the exile to Europe that the royal family also experienced. Pier confirms how lyrics that allude to the king’s displacement are popular in Kiganda songs, not only to express royalty but also to voice complaints of the issues unfurled during the current national regime, many of which result from unregulated economic policies.4Pier 2017, 16. Lyrics and commentaries on the kingdom’s restoration also carry with them a dual meaning: in the same moment that they refer to the kingdom’s own revival, they also evoke the revival that is crucial to the practice of interpretation. These and other lyrics speak to the multiplicity of meanings within the text of “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” and the ways that listeners might reimagine the song.

Sserwanga’s performance of “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” features him playing a tube fiddle (endingidi) with which he bows a rapid melody. Over this background, the performer intersperses his vocals between pauses that he leaves for instrumental excerpts. His voice generally stays in a middle range and delivers lyrics at average volume. The performance pauses after a half minute and then begins again. Like many of the other fiddle performances discussed in this book, “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” has a joyous tone, though Sserwanga’s lyrics blend different moods, evoking how one can experience success and adversity simultaneously. Despite a lack of percussion instruments, the song maintains a danceable feel with its polyrhythmic texture. Sserwanga sings,

“We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” describes various key events, including the loss and subsequent restoration of the Kingdom of Buganda and King Muteesa II’s travels and exiles across the globe. The song describes these events not merely to narrate the past but also to use dedication and loss to dually drive the celebratory nature of Sserwanga’s performance. Detailing the virtues and good deeds of King Muteesa II and his son, the current king, Mutebi II, the composition also demonstrates why the Baganda love and respect their king. The piece alludes to stories from significant historical moments of the Kingdom of Buganda, including the coronation of Muteesa II and Mutebi II, the former’s times in exile, and the tradition of using clan heritage to determine a king’s honorifics. That the king derives his power from a vibrant lineage of predecessors suggests that the past is indeed a vital aspect of the present. It is always in dialogue with those who are alive today, and they are always bringing new change.

“We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” qualifies the singer’s praise for the king by using epithets of respect such as the nnandigobe banana (line 6) and by recognizing the strife he has endured. In one lyric, the singer reveals that while traveling to different counties within Buganda, the leader had to traverse swarms of stinging insects to reach Bugerere (line 7). The lyric suggests that he was willing to sacrifice his health and comfort for the sake of his people. Another line (41) tells how the king went beyond his prescribed role and took a long journey to Europe. Although it was extensive and difficult, he still did this task to establish diplomacy between the kingdom and the rest of the world. This determination to serve his kingdom is evident in another lyric, where the singer suggests that the king made this journey with particular haste so that he could return to support his people again as soon as possible (line 42). These descriptions emphasize the king’s constant dedication to helping his subjects. This responsibility to his people is clear in yet another lyric where the singer rejoices at the kingship’s restoration (lines 19, 30, and 33). Here, we see that despite the dangers of this pursuit, the king still returned for the good of his people. The singer describes this victory as an answered prayer. In these ways, “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” consistently frames the king’s greatness in terms of his dedication to his subjects. As the song’s lyrics confirm, it is not simply the kingship’s prestige that earns praise but his selfless behavior and willingness to fill his leadership role.

Whereas a more restrictive relationship might end up being painful and draining, with the kingship we see how a joy and mutuality rejuvenates people. The kingship’s restoration allowed the Baganda to heal their relationship with their king and thus with one another. This idea of reviving the kingdom’s life force also evokes notions of spirituality, life, and death, as leaders with an uncaring and violent nature might not only harm the material self but will also inflict existential transgressions.

By touring the counties of Buganda as a newly enthroned king, described in several lines (7, 23–26, and 40–41), Mutebi II was following the example of his late father, King Muteesa II. Mutebi II and Muteesa II demonstrated their responsibility to the kingdom in a more literal sense when they visited all the counties in the kingdom. The song’s lyrics illustrate that such an extensive tour was considered impressive (line 40). Places such as Busiro and Bugerere were particularly distant from the more accessible parts of the kingdom (lines 25–26). These lines illustrate the king’s dedication to the people, showing that he is willing to pursue a long tour just so he can see how everyone in his kingdom is faring, beyond his own court. This theme allows us to read “We Love the Supreme Man Exceedingly” more literally. More than simply traveling the world, the king visits his various domains and pays special attention to them. Thus, he follows through on his more local, interpersonal responsibilities.