Seby Ntege is a gifted, enthusiastic musician and dancer from Busoga, eastern Uganda. Born into a musical family, it wasn’t until the age of five while at school that his interest in music started to develop, and he joined the school choir and took part in music competitions.
Eventually he joined the famous Nile Beat Artists, where he trained in a range of traditional instruments, including amadinda (xylophones), endingidi (tube fiddle), engoma (drums), enkwanzi (panpipes), endongo (thumb piano) as well as harp and lyre. He also learned the dances that accompany traditional Ugandan rhythms.
Seby currently lives in the UK and runs music and dance workshops in schools, universities and colleges all around the country, as well as community workshops and performances. He is well known for his workshops at Drum Camp and performances include the Mela Festival 2005, African Linx @ Cropedy 2006 and African Linx @ The Mill 2007.
He put together a 21 man band, Embaire International, to play a 21 giant key xylophone, performing for the Her Majesty the Queen at Westminster Abbey in March 2007. Seby also took part in ‘Motherland’, a dance production by Sampad that toured 28 cities around the UK in summer 2007, in commemoration of the 200th aniversary of the abolishment of the slave trade.
He is the director of Drum Arts Ngoma, a London-based African dance group working with young people from all cultures. They improve and enhance their skills and learn traditional arts from their own or other cultures, culminating in stage performances. Contact Seby for more information.