Damascus Kafumbe
College of Music
Damascus Kafumbe, a native Ugandan, is a skilled performer on a variety of Sub-Saharan East African harps, lamellophones, xylophones, flutes, fiddles, lyres, and drums, most of which he crafts himself. He is also a dancer. He has been a member of several Ugandan performing groups, and has performed in Africa, Europe, and the United States of America. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Music degree from Makerere University (Kampala, Uganda) and a Master of Music degree in musicology (ethnomusicology) from Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida). He currently holds a University Fellowship at the FSU College of Music, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in musicology with an emphasis in ethnomusicology.
Kafumbe is a dedicated teacher who delights in exposing people of all ages to musical knowledge. He has taught music in Ugandan secondary schools, directed the Florida State University African Music and Dance Ensemble, directs “Journey to Africa,” an enrichment program in Florida schools, and serves as music director at the Redeemed Christian Church of God International Chapel (Tallahassee, Florida).
Kafumbe has also contributed to the books, Music of the People of the World (2006, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning) and World Music Traditions and Transformations (2006, Sony BMG Custom Marketing and McGraw-Hill). His principle research interests are in the royal music of Buganda (a kingdom in south central Uganda) and the relationship between Kiganda musical practices and national politics. His Master’s thesis deals with the political and social significance of the kings’ royal musicians of Buganda during the reign of King Sir Edward Frederick Muteesa II (1939-1966).
Kafumbe’s compositions, both vocal and instrumental, are recorded on the albums, Basse Ente (2004, self-released), Gunuma (2005, self-released), and Kitaffe (2007, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings). His music has been featured in the drama, Vessels of Fire: A Tale of African War (a 2005-2006 production co-produced by the Florida State University School of Theatre). He is also an active member of the Society for Ethnomusicology, the College of Music Society, the African Studies Association, and the International Council for Traditional Music.