A choir of orphaned and vulnerable youth from Kampala whose songs emerged from their community.
For a sense of what Watoto does, try 'Nobody Like You' or 'Pei Luo.' They're straightforward, sung by kids who mean it.
The name means 'children' in Swahili, and that's exactly what this is, a choir of kids from Uganda's Watoto villages, singing songs that came from their own lives. You can hear it in 'Holding On' and 'Tusiimye,' tracks that aren't just performances but expressions from a place of shelter and education. Their music travels internationally, but it always circles back to supporting those same communities.
The choir began in 1994, founded by Gary and Marilyn Skinner as part of a network providing for orphaned youth in Kampala. Over the years, they've released albums like 'Oh What Love' in 1999 and 'African Christmas' in 2002, with children typically between 6 and 14 rotating through the group. The repertoire includes worship songs such as 'Shepherd' and 'Nobody Like You,' reflecting both local influences and the children's experiences.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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