Solomon Mbabi‑Katana a strong ethnomusicological background

1. Solomon Mbabi‑Katana a strong ethnomusicological background Solomon Mbabi‑Katana is a composer with a strong ethnomusicological background. Although he has composed some works for the piano, his main achievement is in the exploration of the use of African traditional instruments in modern composition. His works are a direct result of ethnomusicological research.

2. Theatrical and musical works Mbabi‑Katana's Midday Dream is a three‑ movement work scored for an ensemble of African instruments, comprising wood block, cow bells, small drum, big drum, rattle, xylophone, bow lutes, thumb pianos, pan pipes and slit drum.

3. Theatrical and musical works The composer provides copious notes in the score describing the instruments and how they are played. The composer did not indicate how many bow lutes, flutes or thumb pianos are required and it would be interesting to see how he deals with the question of orchestral balance, with regard to these instruments.

4. The test of multi-ethnicity in African ensembles The notion of a neo‑African ensemble, such as Mbabi‑Katana's, implies the combination of musical instruments drawn from different ethnic sources. The coordination of different instruments 'speaking different languages' within the same ensemble is one of the tests of creativity which modern African composers face. Mbabi‑Katana's music is worth studying for the ways in which he resolves such problems.

5. His career • Until his retirement, Mbabi‑Katana was a Professor in the Department of Music, Dance and Drama at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.