One of Uganda’s unique charms is its dynamic blend of old and new. During your safari in Uganda you can experience ancient temples, gardens and cultural traditions. There are lots of cultural experiences and encounters.
With over 40 distinct groups, Uganda has a rich culture that is varied and full of contrast.
A Fascinating range of Cultural Diversity
On the expansive plains of Eastern Uganda, lanky Karamojong pastoralists live in mayattas-cell-like clusters of defensive thorn-fenced enclosures. At the other extreme, both geographically and in stature, communities of Batwa pygmies, Uganda’s oldest extant group, bivouac on the forest margins of the mountainous south-west.
Tribes
Mountain people face each other across the 500 km wide plateau of Central Uganda. On the western border with Congo, the meter high Mount Rwenzori is home to the Bakonzo people, while on the eastern border with Kenya the Bagisu inhabit the volcanic slopes of the 4,321-meter Mount Elgon, in between live the Basoga and Langi, two tribes who, though divided by a few kilometers of shallow, swampy Lake Kyoga, speak languages as mutually incomprehensible as English and Chinese.
Central Uganda, on the shore of Lake Victoria, is donated by Buganda kingdom dating back to the 14th century, whose subjects are divided among 51 clans, each with its own animal or plant totem.
These groups are many more, all have distinct cultures and traditions, most of which have associated dances accompanied by compositions played on regionally distinctive instruments. One might embark on a nationwide tour to explore this remarkable variety, and it would be long one, indeed, if you intend to do the subject justice.
If time is short, however, you could experience a splendid cultural cross-section simply by heading to Kampala’s Ndere Centre, home of the famous Ndere Troupe, where a purpose-built auditorium and outdoor arena provide the setting for thrilling performances of traditional dances and music from all over Uganda.
Victors are invited to join in if they wish; Uganda would not be Africa’s most hospitable country otherwise. Girls can try the suggestive shimmer of the Bagisu Kadodi dance while their men jump with fellow warriors in the competitive pogo dance of Karamoja. An Ndere event is not to be missed- a frenetic experience that leaves the performers exhausted, the audience drained and everybody extremely happy.
The Ndere Centre is located in Ntinda in north-east Kampala, just off the Ntinda-Kisaasi roundabout on the Northern Bypass.