Uganda has lost one of its great Catholic music composers, Father James Kabuye. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, which began in 1962, the same year Father Kabuye was ordained a priest, would later create opportunities for him to put his musical compositions to greater use. He had learned from the late Father Kyangambiddwa how to write, read and interpret African music. Composing therefore came naturally to him, particularly following the groundbreaking decisions of the Second Vatican Council in 1964. This presented an opportunity for Father Kabuye, who could compose music in Luganda. The challenge, however, was how to make music in a local language as appealing as it was in Latin. An idea then struck Father Kabuye: he would compose music that retained elements of the original Catholic Latin canticles but featured a slightly faster tempo. His compositions feature a responsorial style, in which the congregation sings a short, easy-to-memorize refrain, followed by verses led by a principal singer (a cantor) or by the choir. Other priests, including Expedito Magembe and Vincent Bakkabulindi, later contributed to this musical development. The Buganda region became the first to adopt a local language in liturgical music. In subsequent years, the late Monsignor Bonaventure Kasaijja composed several liturgical pieces in Runyoro, Rutooro, Runyakore and Rukiga. In the 1970s, a heated debate emerged over whether local instruments should be used in churches instead of organs, which were largely reserved for seminarians. Eventually, local instruments were accepted, contributing to the revival and wider appreciation of local church music. Father Kabuye’s music is a regular part of Catholic church services across different types of Masses, with more than 100 compositions attributed to him. I met Father James Kabuye in July 2016, and we had a long conversation about his music career and priesthood. I did not want to stop listening to his wisdom. Watch these excerpts from NTV’s Talking Arts. May his soul rest in eternal peace. @ugcatholics @UgandaEpiscopal