The Soul Of Uganda Through Song: An Alternative History book - Michiel Van Oosterhout

The Soul of Uganda Through Song' is an alternative history book that explores the history of Uganda from 1962 to 1979 through 200 song lyrics. The book almost exclusively quotes artists. It is part of an investigation by Dutch filmmaker/writer/researcher Michiel Van Oosterhout on how music in that period influenced the social/cultural/moral and political fabric of the country. His 2019 music documentary "Bwana Jogoo: The ballad of Jessy Gitta" is a central part of this project and won best documentary award at the 2019 Uganda Film Festival.

The songs were translated into English by Ugandan musician/actor Mike Musoke. He is the lead singer of Percussion Discussion Africa (PDA), an internationally renowned Ugandan band merging traditional and modern music. He co-wrote the opening tune 'nakawunde' for the Oscar winning movie ' The last king of Scotland'. Besides starring in feature films, he has appeared in several soap series in Uganda. With PDA he recorded four albums and performed in several European countries.