Dr. Michael Mubuuza, a researcher and lecturer at Makerere University’s Department of Film and Performing Arts, has called on Ugandans to embrace their cultural heritage and exploit its opportunities for development.
Speaking at the 6th edition of the Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC) Arts and Culture Festival, Dr. Muhumuza emphasized the need for Ugandans to change their mindsets and recognize the value of their culture.
“If we exploit the opportunities that come with culture, we shall stand solidly as one in our different subgroupings and co-operate as a country and we shall be able to hustle every problem that challenges us” he said
He shared his personal experience of learning about herbal medicine from his grandmother and developing a department of herbal medicines, demonstrating the potential of traditional knowledge. He works with a team of foresters, pharmacists, botanists and anthropologists to produce herbal medicine.
He also advised the musicians to embrace the same and stop clinging on beats from West Africa.
“I have a problem with musicians. We have about one hundred cultural groupings and each of those has a rhythm. Now why do Ugandans cling on West African rhythms and forget about Ugandan Rhythms in our music,” he said
Adding, “How beautiful would it be if we exploited the one hundred cultural rhythms and we expanded the music industry with our beautiful rhythms,”
