With a slew of Ugandan festivals, rarely do you find a festival that has found a purpose and stayed true to it. Yet that is what Pearl Rhythm Festival has tried to do for the past 13th editions, staying true to their name and core beliefs, such as fostering and promoting Ugandan sounds while discovering and guiding those who are moving the sound.
Between October 25th -26th , this year’s edition of the Pearl Rhythm Festival will take place at the National Theatre gardens, with the theme, Taking Turns with the Earth, this year’s festivities aim to uplift and celebrate culture within the context of a changing climate and environment. Pearl Rhythm recognizes that art and culture exist in societal settings where environment and climate change are taking root and affecting the art and the artist. Moreover, artists are also contributing to environmental degradation, the release of emissions and other harmful impacts on the environment and long-term climate change.
This year’s edition will feature panel discussions around the environment and the role of art in protecting the environment.
A one-day symposium on art, culture and environment dedicated to open discussions between artists, civil society, Kampala city council authority, Government officials and industry stakeholders on issues affecting the environment and the arts and ultimately changing our culture .
One of the big offerings will be the stage performances. Artistes Jajja Timo, Essie Omweshongozi, Haka Mukiga, Charles Obina, DJ Nach Mao, Tontoma Poetry Jazz Session and Kenneth Mugabi and a special international act between Germany and Uganda featuring a chorale performance in collaboration between two German artists and a Ugandan choir.
Hans-Kraus Hübner has composed a four part voice chorale with Stefan Lienemann contributing to the lyrical content. Both artists reside in Altdorf (Germany) which is the partnering city for the Bridges project between Pearl Rhythm Foundation and Altdorf City.
The chorale will have its world premiere performed by the Ugandan choir at the 2024 Pearl Rhythm Festival and later published in Altdorf.
Pearl Rhythm Foundation (PRF) is a Ugandan music and grassroots creative organization that was created in 2012 and incorporated in 2015 under the laws of Uganda, to champion the cause of marketing and popularizing indigenous music and instruments through art with an aim of strengthening the music scene in Uganda while linking it to its original indigenous grassroots cultures.
The festival’s mission is to see a vibrant culturally rooted music industry in Uganda with artists that showcase a true Ugandan brand. Every year, the Pearl Rhythm Foundation searches for young and fresh artists to mentor, to meet our objective of contributing to a larger pool of authentic, creative and original music talent in Uganda.
Any artist can audition, and those with the most potential are selected to go through a three-month mentorship program, including studio production and rehearsals, to prepare them for their Pearl Rhythm Festival performances.
This is through the Stage Coach academy, an arm of the foundation where artists’ best works are included in an annual Pearl Rhythm compilation CD, which can promote these new acts after their launch at the festival. This year’s edition is supported by Altdorf City and the Bridges program, The French Embassy, The German Embassy and UNCC.
Pearl Rhythm Festival will be taking place at the National Theatre Gardens on October 25th -26th . Tickets are available at the National Theatre, Alliance Francaise and on KARI TICKETS https://bit.ly/PRFearlyBird for only Shs 50,000.