ABSTRACT
In Chapter 5, the book turns its attention to the relationship between oral history and the arts among the East African Bantu, specifically the art of the badongo and inanga players who are central to the preservation and dissemination of Bantu culture and history. Here, we explore the relationship between oral literature, history, politics, and performance within the post-colonial states of Rwanda and Uganda. We reflect on the status of dance, music, recitation and the song, and the travelling musicians. Although the major section of travelling musicians who had worked in palaces in several kingdoms in the region became ordinary performers, they could not disengage from the art of court performance.
