Giant Wooden Xylophone – Polyrhythms – Traditional Ugandan Music

“A dense tangle of sound, from which distinct melodies, basslines, and rhythms emerge, each musician’s abstract part combining into an entrancing whole.” — Jim Hickson, Songlines

The Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe from Uganda performs on the embaire, a giant wooden xylophone played by six musicians (when touring), creating hypnotic, joyful music. They can perform on a stage or in the traditional village way, digging a hole in the ground to amplify the instrument’s resonance before laying the keys over it—a setup they brought to life at Roskilde Festival, creating a truly special, immersive moment. The embaire weaves polyrhythmic melodic phrases, vocals, and percussion into endlessly flowing, ecstatic grooves.

Their upcoming album, Phantom Keys, will be released on Nyege Nyege Tapes on October 20, 2025, documenting a Tokyo performance with Japanese dub innovator Naoyuki Uchida. It blends Uganda’s trance-inducing polyrhythms with experimental dub techniques, creating a hypnotic, otherworldly soundscape.

Nakibembe return to Nyege Nyege Festival in 2025, right after Frue Festival in Japan, where they’ll perform a solo set and a special collaboration with Uchida. They are confirmed for a European tour in spring/summer 2026—their first full European tour since 2022, except for a one-off at Brecht Festival 2023—as well as a full Japan tour later in the year.

RELEASES

New release to come out on Nyege Nyege Tapes on Oct 2025
Available on demand

Release (May 16, 2023 – Nyege Nyege Tapes)
https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/nakibembe-embaire-group