“Conversations” Uganda will be released this week

Hello everybody, Kate Bass here. It’s been a very busy and exciting week: while Richard and I launch this website we are also in the process of releasing “Conversations”, the album I wrote and recorded with Andereya Baguma, produced by Joses Arins Emanzi at Mulika Studios in Uganda this January 2023.

Thanks to the generous support of our Kickstarter backers as well as the US Embassy Kampala, we were able to not only implement our “Conversations” project successfully this January in Uganda, but the performance, recording, and master classes combined impacted the lives of hundreds of Ugandan artists and musicians. We were able to fairly pay over 55 artists and musicians for their work on the project, including musicians, photographers, videographers, audio engineers, visual artists and artisans, poets, actors, and fashion designers.

We were able to supply electronics, laptops, and studio equipment, including headphones, mics, mixers, instruments, video cameras, and more to many young independent Ugandan musicians. We were also able to help fund production of an independent and entirely local Ugandan music festival, Endongo Munsiko.

Additionally, I was able to lead a free, full-day master class at Kampala Music School, filled over-capacity with participants, as well as numerous free private coaching sessions for Ugandan singers.

Thanks to generous support from the US Embassy Kampala, Andereya, Joses, and I had the great honor to perform for Ambassador Natalie Brown at the US Embassy’s Alumni Impact Awards, and were so excited to have a whole US Embassy busload of audience members at our “Conversations” performance at Nyungu Yamawe Forest Park. 

This album is a true testament to what happens when people open their minds and hearts to each other in the common goal of connecting and creating something beautiful together.

I got completely addicted to street food kikkomando (and never got sick!) and my beloved Stoney Tangawizi, the best ginger soda you could ever imagine. Uganda truly became like a second home to me.

Global Music Collective is already developing a second Uganda-based project with some amazing musicians in Western Uganda, who speak an entirely different language (Runyankore) and who have a whole new culture and world of stories to share. 

I have never felt stronger that this program can change lives: not only the lives of all of the artists and musicians involved in the project, but those that witness the project as audience members, master class students, and supporters from far and wide, able to learn about new cultures and people through the Universal Language of music. 

If you want to help make these projects a sustainable possibility, we are currently developing programs in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Western Uganda, Taiwan, and Mexico, as well as here in the US: in Alaska and Austin! To donate directly via Paypal, the link is here:

And for those interested in large donations, we are currently fiscally sponsored by Collide Arts, a 501 (c)(3) organization, while we apply for our own nonprofit status. Please contact us for further details at globalmusiccollective@gmail.com

STAY TUNED THIS FRIDAY, JULY 28 for our global release of “Conversations”!