
The Middle Passage refers to the transition through the Atlantic where enslaved people were tightly packed, chained and shipped to their next destination. Accounts such as the ones from Olaudah Equiano (or Gustavus Vassa, The African) narrate stories of the level of torture of the conditions that these people had to face through the Middle Passage. Here is a fragment from his book:

This is probably one of the most difficult topics we got to face as researchers. Although we are trying to produce content that aims to engage with a wide range of audiences, including young people and children, it is very important for us to highlight the un-human like treatment that enslaved people had to face through the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. One of the many focus areas of around the middle passage has been the ships. For example, the International Slavery Museum Liverpool (ISM) has showcased a special interest around such ships and the artefacts that surrounded those life experiences throughout that passage. For the illustrations, we wanted to showcase that this was the point of departure, and crossing the Atlantic towards the so-called New World.
We focused on the voyage for the final interaction point. The ships were based on historic illustrations between 1857 and 1780. The connection to Liverpool, in this case, is showcased through the illustration of a ‘Liverpool Slave Ship’ by William Jackson, also showcased at the ISM. There were other illustrations that depicted enslaved people, but we wanted to keep a more flowing narrative in relation to the cultural contribution. Nevertheless, we believed that it was still important to remember the Middle Passage through the narrative.
Sound Track
Ee wan wabina ikuk and Lukembe tuning
Since it is impossible to find an actual recording of the from the Middle Passage, we chose a song that tells the story of Uganda’s freedom. It says: “Girls are like birds in the river. Uganda has her freedom. I’m thinking of my girl. Oh, the eyes of women.” The performer is a singer named Opia.
There is a wide range of instruments such as the Lukembe or lamellophone, drums and wooden pipes. Despite that the record indicates that the song was recorded in Alarek, Labwor, northeast Uganda, the performer noted that they were from Achioli, Uganda.
The soundtrack belongs to the Peter Cooke Uganda Recordings Collection at the British Library. You can find the full record here. Below is a 30-second sample, which has been now cleaned and optimised to be played on our installation.
Lukembes or lamellophones are very are also found in almost every part of the world. Here is a video of a more modern lamellophone song.