Charles Lwanga’s (PhD 2012) article “Bridging Ethnomusicology and Composition in the First Movement of Justinian Tamusuza’s String Quartet Mu Kkubo Ery’Omusaalaba" was published in the latest issue of Analytical Approaches to World Music.

Noting how, “Béla Bartók and other composers inspired a generation of African Art music composers who are preoccupied with the search for new musical idioms,” Lwanga explores how Ugandan composer Justinian Tamusuza exemplifies the effort to incorporate ethnomusicological research into ccompositions that also draw on western idioms. According to Lwanga,

“Focusing on the first movement of his string quartet Mu Kkubo e ry'Omusaalaba, I examine how Tamusuza's approach to composing art music bridges ethnomusicology and composition. I examine how he evokes and employs Ganda musical sonorities and processes to articulate the interactive imperative in baakisimba music practice of the Baganda."

Dr. Charles Lwanga is a composer, pianist, choral conductor, and clinician in African music and dance.  Lwanga holds a PhD in Theory and Composition (University of Pittsburgh), MA, Post-Graduate Diploma in Music Education, as well as undergraduate degrees in Performing Arts and Law. He studied composition with Justinian Tamusuza, Mathew Rosenblum, Amy Williams, Trevor Bjorklund, and Eric Moe. His compositions, which often blend African and Western/European musical idioms within interactive rhythmic and coloristic gestures, have been read and performed by world renowned ensembles such as the GIMBA (Bahia, Brazil), CIKADA (Norway), IonSound (USA), counter)induction (USA) and renowned American cellist Dave Eggar, among others. Currently, Lwanga is pursuing a second PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh with a research focus on popular music, politics, protest, and class formation in Uganda.