Bio
Patrick Atude hails from Ariet village in Kumi district, Eastern Uganda, one of the
hotbeds of akogo music and its tightly layered melodies played on a mix of large and tiny thumb pianos, an instrument locally known as akogo that graces cultural and official functions of the Iteso. Starting his musical journey in the 1960s, Atude is not only a ‘mzee’ (a respectful way to address elders in Uganda) and veteran of this music, but also one of its legends as the original composer of the song ‘Emali’, which rose to new heights when it was reinterpreted by the Ugandan popular group Afrigo band. This year, Nyege Nyege Festival collaborates with the Akogo Festival to invite mzee Atude and his whole akogo group to bring the original flavours of his large repertoire and the song ‘Emali’ that highlights the benefits of childbearing and the value of education.
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