Arsenal Mikebe is a cutting-edge percussion ensemble based on the outskirts of Kampala. Their heavy-body drumming style is interwoven with soul vocals and jungle-infused trance – a raw industrial-organic rhythm machine dressed in sexy Armani. Founded by Jonathan Uliel Saldanha (HHY), the ensemble includes traditional percussionists Ssentongo Moses, Dratele Epiphany, and Luyambi Vicent de Paul. Their custom-built percussion system – crafted by Henry Segamwenge and partially composed of metal bells – forms the ensemble’s core sound: a hybrid of acoustic intensity and electronic energy, like an 808 cargo cult device. The result is a dense rhythmic force, hypnotic grooves, and infectious vocal bursts that target the body directly.
