The scavenger who found a brass symphony
Growing up on the streets of Kampala, Ronald Kabuye fell in love with the trombone. He never imagined he'd one day play alongside some of the world's top musicians.
Ronald Kabuye grew up in the Katwe slums of Kampala, Uganda, scavenging for food and trying to sell scrap metal for cash. One day in the street he saw a performance by the M-Lisada marching band, a group made up of children from a local orphanage. Ronald was enthralled. He joined the band, took up the trombone, and learned to read music. Performing gave him an escape and ultimately the opportunity to travel the world and play with some of the world's most influential musicians.
Ronald is now a music teacher for the charity Brass for Africa. One of his pupils is Sumayya Nabakooza, who has overcome tough opposition to become one of very few female tuba players in Africa. They both share their story with Outlook's Anu Anand.
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Anu Anand
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
Picture: Ronald Kabuye
Credit: Brass For Africa
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The Outlook Podcast Archive
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives
