My favorite Ugandan hip hop/breakdancing duo made BoingBoing yesterday as part of a post on Diamonds in the Rough, a documentary about Uganda’s awesome socially and politically active hip hop scene.

The film has been out for a while, and its director, Brett Mazurek, was profiled in 2006 by UGPulse. The site also has an excellent introduction to East African hip hop (Uganda’s at the bottom) and an interview with Sylvester & Abramz, whose song Lemerako is featured in the film’s trailer.

Check it out:

Posted in breakdance project uganda, ugandan culture | Leave a comment

You may remember Abramz. He’s the rapping, breakdancing activist I’ve written about here and here. Also here. And this time. Here too. And that one. And here. Clearly, I think he’s terrific.

Apparently, so does Oxfam.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently taking place in Indonesia, Oxfam released a video of testimonies from around the developing world. The people featured are primarily subsistence farmers. Climate change, in the form of floods, droughts, heat and pollution, has devastated their livelihoods. Driving their message home at the end of the film is Abramz:

If you want to help, check out Oxfam’s pledge to fight climate poverty.

Posted in aid and development, breakdance project uganda | Leave a comment

It’s time for another gushy post about Breakdance Project Uganda. Two posts, in fact, and neither of them mine:

Breakdance Project Uganda by Stevi Wara
“Biting my lip in concentration, my legs are awkwardly trying to mirror the movements of my new break dance teacher in front of me. Dancing with local Ugandans on my left and right I don’t feel pressure, but motivation to land this next trick.”

Abramz Tekya: Rapping, Dancing for Change by El Oso
“After a steady stream of phone-tag, Abramz and I finally found each other at Antonio’s – the closest thing I’ve seen to a local restaurant chain in East Africa. Sporting a hoodie, t-shirt, and baggie pants, I couldn’t help but feel immediately comfortable. It felt much more like talking to an old friend from Southern California than meeting a complete stranger in the middle of Uganda.”

In other awesomeness, the project is headed to Arua with MS Uganda. From Abramz:

We’re going to collaborate with MS Uganda ( A danish organization) & IATM (International Anti-corruption Theatre Movement) to do a community sensitization program about democracy & human rights.

We’re going to do a forum theatre play about democracy which will be a fusion of drama & breakdance (Bboying,popping & a bit of locking). Then we’ll have discussions with the community.

After the sensitization program, ‘Breakdance Project Uganda’ will do a free of charge breakdance workshop which will be open to all the community people.

And finally, because Breakdance Project Uganda makes me want to jump up and down like a little (breakdancing-ly talented) kid, a video from their latest visit to Naguru Remand Home:

Posted in breakdance project uganda | Leave a comment