TECHNO-SOCIAL EVOLUTION OF UGANDA

Mon, 3 Jul 2007 07:37:46 GMT

posted by kigowa
As a rule of thumb, society is dynamic because it is always evolving. The Ugandan society is no exception. Through the times, the interests, tastes, politics, entertainment, coiffure, popular music, styles and fashion have evolved unstoppably. This paper is basically a generalised social cultural digestion of popular culture in Uganda with an allusion to modernity and globalization.
In the 60’s through 70’s, we had miniskirts, the coiffure was crew cuts, body hugging pipe trousers, gramophones and Dr. Milton Obote.
Our ‘famous’ Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada (RIP) VC, DSO, MC, CBE kicked out Dr. Obote (RIP) in 1971. In the 70’s dog eared novels and vinyl discs or LP’s were the status symbols for youngsters. There was then nothing much to entertain them because the Field Marshal's 'Economic War' had brought the economy and society to their knees.
Radiograms had replaced the pioneering ‘His Master’s Voice’ gramophone players of yesteryears. These were followed by radio cassette players. The Beatles and Jim Reeves were then well known in Uganda. James Hardley Chase, Barbara Cartland. Reggae music was introduced to Uganda around this time, thanks to the legendary Bob Marley. The 70’s were the golden era of Congolese Lingala music. The vocalists and bands which were then in vogue included Tabu-Ley aka Rocherous, Soki Vangu. Virunga, Lipua Lipua, Luanzo Luadi Makiadi aka Franco, Orchestras Veve, Mangelepa. Others were the Commodores, Bob Marley. Bell bottoms, flowing maxi dresses, tight fitting (slim fit) shirts with darts, platform shoes. Coiffure-wise, Afro hair was still going strong. Movies-Bruce Lee, Wang Yu, Bud Spencer, Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, James Bond. Although TV coverage was low, Ugandans used to watch all Mohamad Ali fights live on the few Government imported Japanese Sanyo televisions.
The return of Obote (1980-85) and enter Museveni (1986- ) as Presidents. In the 80’s through the early 90’s, one had to be seen with a video cassette to prove that he was somebody. These were the days of the walkmans. The amazing Sankei ghetto blasters and the Sansui, JVC, Marantz stereos. The main mode of personal communication was still letter writing and postage. The landline telephone system still had a very low coverage.
The coiffure was now the famous French cut hairstyle which was a reinvention of the crew cut of the 50’s and 60’s. Bell bottoms went into reverse gear to give birth to the opposite pipe trousers. Platform shoes sidestepped and gave way to Texan sharpee boots. Shalamar, The Commodores, Imagination, Cool & the Gang. Soul, Rap and R&B music ruled.
In the mid 80’s, Kampala got its first really modern discotheque in the names of Tropicana 110. This was closely followed by Ange Noir and Silk discotheques.
Mid 90’s to early this millennium, it was the cd and mobile phones which were in vogue. Cd walkmans came in tandem. Then there was the emergence of Video cameras. Satellite TV invasion. Fm radio broadcasting emerged in Uganda in 1991 when Sanyu Fm went on air in December of that year. It, virtually, created a Cultural Revolution and led to the birth of our ‘celebrities’. Vox Populi has taken centre stage on the FM airwaves. The size of the Ugandan radio audiences is larger than that of any other medium. The public, especially in the evenings and over the weekends, is inundated with all shades of opinionated talk shows which, in a way, are a valve through which people vent their various frustrations in life. So, those who wish to hear absolute lies and all sorts of half truths get their fill and those desiring to get excellent balanced qualitative analyses of the Ugandan situation also get their fill. Valentines’, Mothers’, Fathers’, Halloween days which had not been known by most Ugandans are now celebrated with so much gusto that one could mistakenly think they were born here.
Present days have brought with them a quick explosion of technology and style. The world has surely become a global village thanks to mobile telephony, the internet and satellite television. Information is now sent and received in real time. This has spelt a death knell to the old and faithful postal system. People and homes in Uganda and the rest of the world have gadgets like the iPod and other Mp3 players, Home theatres, plasma screens, Computers and the internet, plain flash disks, Yahoo, Google, Firefox-Mozilla, Playstation and Nintendo games, Digital cameras are the current preoccupation of today's youngsters and young adults.The young generation across the globe listens to virtually the same kind of music by the likes of 50cent, PDD, Beyonce, Shakira.
From the mid 90's, there was an explosion of home grown musicians like Rasta Rob, Chameleon, Weasel, General Mega Dee, Bobby Wine and Bebe Cool. They sing mainly in local languages but dress like American hip-hop stars. They even have gang wars just like their American counterparts.
Some of the current music is unfathomable and some dance strokes appear to be rather wacky to the older generations. It is very hard to fathom the dress code because it is a blend of historical fashion blended with some weird ‘new’ fashions. Due to globalization, the dress code of youngsters on a Kampala street is no different from that of their counterparts on a New York street.
We are yet to see more because these days technological advances are moving much faster than they did a couple of decades ago.

Tour Uganda Splendor dal 25 Giugno al 3 Luglio

Wed, 8 May 2008 15:54:37 GMT

posted by Miralba

Tour 7 giorni e 6 notti

In 4×4 con guida parlante inglese

L’offerta include:

- voli di linea KLM

- tour in veicolo 4v4 con autista/guida parlante inglese

- permessi per i gorilla a Bwindi

- pensione completa in camera doppia

- ingressi ai parchi

La quota non include:

- tasse aeroportuali

- visto d’ingresso da pagare in loco

- bevande in hotel

- mance ed extra di carattere personale

Visite previste:

- Entebbe

- Kibale

- Queen Elizabeth

- Bwindi

- Lake Mburo

- Kampala

Prezzi a partire da Euro 3890.00 a persona (min 2 persone)

Per info e prenotazioni rivolgersi agenzia:

Tel. 011-2485647 - Email. info @pamperoviaggi.com

Welcome to our wikizine called "YEKOZ DIGEST"

Sat, 1 Jul 2007 17:52:00 GMT

posted by kigowa
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YEKOZ DIGEST - Articles - Zimbio

TECHNO-SOCIAL EVOLUTION OF UGANDA

Tour Uganda Splendor dal 25 Giugno al 3 Luglio

Welcome to our wikizine called "YEKOZ DIGEST"