Assessment of the Acholi traditional songs and dances for cultural tourism in Northern Uganda

Abstract

The study examined Acholi traditional songs and dances as cultural heritage resources for development of cultural tourism as a unique product niche in northern Uganda. The aim was to understand the significance of these artistic expressions within the context of cultural tourism development, focusing on three key aspects: cultural heritage resources, local community perceptions, and challenges to be addressed in the process. The specific objectives were to profile and document cultural heritage resources for cultural tourism development, to examine local communities’ perceptions of developing Acholi culture for cultural tourism and to assess the likely challenges that may be faced in the development of cultural tourism in Acholi sub region. Data were collected in Gulu City using exploratory research design involving quantitative and qualitative approaches. Sample size was 62 respondents were interviewed with the help of a structure questionnaire. Results revealed that the Acholi culture is rich with several songs and dances (15 dances and 9 songs recorded in this study) perfumed at different types of ceremonies and include Larakaraka dance, Bwola dance, Dingi Dingi dance, and traditional songs such as folk songs, Lakubukubu, and Aguma among others. These can be harnessed for cultural tourism as a unique tourism product in northern Uganda. With these diverse and rich cultural heritage resources, it is recommended that the cultural institution “Ker Kal Kwaro Acholi” should work hand in hand with Gulu City Authority and adjacent district local governments to harness and develop a strong cultural tourism product for which northern Uganda has a comparative advantage. This is based on the fact that northern Uganda does not have wildlife resources on which Uganda’s tourism is based.