Pennridge graduate releases album to tell story of Uganda
“There is no such thing as ‘African’ music,” Michael .LUkSDWULFk, Dn ’85 3Hnnridge graduate, said.
Kirkpatrick recently launched an album compilLnJ 10 sRnJs by fiYH GLIIHUent artists and groups from the African nation of rganda in conjunction with the nation’s celebration of its independence from Britain on 2FW. 9, 1962.
Increasingly negative news coming out of rganda earlier this year sparked the album, “rganda Sings.”
TKH #.Rny2012 TZLWter hashtag and movement received worldwide attention when a group of independent filmmakers from San Diego released an online video that went viral, exposing the atroci- ties of Joseph Kony. Kony led a militia group called “The Lord’s Resistance Army” that was forced RuW RI UJDnGD Ln 2005, according to the rK’s Telegraph. The viral film was released by campaign group Invisible Children — a group that seeks to end the conflict in rganda — and tells the story of a former child soldier named Jacob.
The film and cause was tweeted by r.S. celebrities, including wooey De- schanel, and Kirkpatrick said he found it increasingly difficult to spread word of the good occurring in rganda.
“r.S. news about rganda always focuses on death, disease and danger. I know the culture so much deeper than that,” Kirkpatrick said.
Friends he made during numerous previous trips to rganda told Kirkpatrick that Invisible Children was bringing attention to things that weren’t even going on in the country anymore, he said.
Kirkpatrick and his wife fiUsW WUDYHlHG WR UJDnGD Ln 1998. FULHnGs DW CDlYDUy Church in Souderton introduced them to their visiting rganda friend, Richard Kabazzi. During his stay Ln WKH 3KLlDGHlSKLD DUHD, Kabazzi attempted to increase awareness about his grassroots efforts to raise money for poor children in rganda.
“It was my skepticism and incredible cynicism WKDW fiUsW WRRk us WR UJDnGD,” Kirkpatrick said.
He admits he didn’t believe in Kabazzi’s cause and wanted to see for himself. Kirkpatrick said the people he was supposedly there to help helped him more by teaching him about the way they look at the world and their culture.
“American culture is so focused on time and task,” Kirkpatrick said. “In rgan-
there prioritized ships.”
He added that it’s not that American culture doesn’t value relationships, just priorities are different in rganda.
“Relationships supersede issues of time and task,” Kirkpatrick said.
After releasing “rganda Sings,” a number of momentous and positive news events started breaking surrounding rganda.
Toward the end of June, CNN announced Jackson Kaguri as a “CNN Hero” for his work educating and helping AIDS orphans in rganda.
rgandan Stephen Kiprotich, 23, won the marathon, the last event of the London Olympics — upsetting his Kenyan competitors who were heavily favored to win. According to CNN, this Ls 8JDnGD’s fiUsW JROG Ln 40 years since the 1970 Munich games.
$OsR, WKH fiUsW $IULFDn baseball team chosen to compete in the Little League World Series, held last week in Williamsport, Pa., is from rganda.
relation-
“There’s another way to tell rganda’s story,” Kirkpatrick said. “We just hope through music we can show there are tons of positive things going on there.”
“rganda Sings” is an eclectic 10-song album available for purchase for $9.99 online at reverbnation. com. The album includes everything from jazz rifts and rgandan divas to jam bands.
To read more about Kirkpatrick, “the village boy from Sellersville,” check out his website: IndependentGlobalCitizen.com.