CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND is fast establishing a reputation, both nationally, regionally and internationally, as a quality music production company that is raising the standard of the music industry, especially in East Africa. Our facilities are simple, yet effective and we do not embark on commercial studio work for ‘off-the-street’ musicians. To maintain our very high standards, we work on our own projects or with other musicians by invite only. This allows the producer to give the time and concentration needed to create international standard recordings and finished products. CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND works hard to ensure a fair deal for the musicians it works with, so that real music careers can be established, rather than ‘one-hit-wonders’. Social responsibility is very important to us and we undertake recordings in remote rural locations, as part of a project called ‘Kulinda Obuhangwa’ (Preserving Culture) which is empowering rural musicians to reach wider audiences and to preserve some of the endangered Ugandan traditional music. We are also experienced in supplying quality, live musical entertainment. No other company in East Africa has the professional experience of such a wide range of musical styles and formats. We prefer to work in contemporary African music, to support and develop the music industry in our adopted home country, Uganda, but we can also offer products in other styles, including classical and jazz albums, recorded by Ugandan musicians, and popular music genres, all presented to the same high standards.
CHiLLUM WOODS ROOTS is an African roots reggae project within the music production company CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND. Our first reggae album, titled ‘The Pearl in Reggae’s Crown’ is due to be released in July 2007 and features the immense vocal talents of Akiiki Romeo (2003 Pearl of Africa Music award winner), the veteran Ugandan baritone John Kaahwa and up-coming new vocalists Cultureman, Thornhead and Sayed. The album is written and produced by Gdava Woods. Three of the songs from the album have been playing daily on FM radio stations throughout Uganda (with ‘You’ reaching the coveted number one spot) and once the album is complete, then promotion and marketing will be broadened to cover the whole of Africa and worldwide. CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND is run by experienced professional musicians from the UK and Uganda and we always strive to ensure that all singers and instrumentalists get a fair deal, to help create real music careers and to develop the Ugandan music industry. There are other so-called reggae artistes and groups in Uganda, but the vast majority of the music should be classified as dancehall or ragga, rather than roots reggae. Of course, these genres have their markets, too, but we are most interested in the live band sound and conscious, responsible lyrics that are associated with roots. Although reggae was created in Jamaica, Africa is at the heart of all reggae music and this genre is still growing in popularity throughout the world. Reggae fans are interested in hearing music from countries other than Jamaica and with East Africa being the birthplace of mankind and so spiritually significant for Rastafarians, CHiLLUM WOODS ROOTS is growing in popularity. Reggae fans have always been interested in African reggae and the two main stars Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy have served them well over the last few decades. However, the current explosion in reggae throughout Africa has spawned an interest in new African reggae artistes and CHiLLUM WOODS ROOTS is leading the pack here in East Africa.
CHiLLUM WOODS ROOTS is one of the many quality projects of the production company and record label CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND. You may remember the company's first release of the promotional album ‘CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND Presents Akiiki Romeo’ in April 2006. The album has received great reviews and helped the company launch itself to Uganda and the wider music industry. Since then, CHiLLUM WOODS SOUND has produced the debut album of Kinobe Herbert. This album is being released by a major US distribution company and is being sold all over the world. It has been produced in Uganda and has been mastered and manufactured in the US.
