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Artist
Mwangaza Children's Choir
11+ albums
gospelchoirsxsw 2010
about
The Mwangaza Children's Choir is a fund raising and awareness raising branch of African Renewal Ministries (ARM) in Uganda. They spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music and dance, as well as helping to resources for schools, orphanages, child sponsorships and medical clinics. Every year since their start in 2004 they hold a festival to choose talented children. From that group they pick the best and train for six months before recording an album and touring the USA. The group is composed of 22 children and 8 leaders, with many people helping in both Uganda and the US. The songs are written by Ugandans and then mixed in the US to find a sound that is authentically Ugandan but also suitable to the American ear. The group stays in host families organized by churches and schools where they tour, and the children are taught by a teacher who travels with them. Though the music is gospel, it also is bright and has influences of reggae, soul and a distinctly African sound. The children are a diverse group, some of them are orphans. The children speak many languages, like Lugandan and Runyankore. Most don't speak Swahili, because even though many African countries speak Swahili Uganda does not. The name "Mwangaza" is actually the Swahili word for light, as the children are like a shinning light in the world. The children wear costumes made from brightly colored Ugandan cloth, and use drums and shakers when they perform. They sing to instrumental tracks and sometimes have sp