DUMA, Black Rhinos (shot to extinction for their horns), 20:20, Kampala/Nairobi, 2023

When darkness envelops the earth, and humankind swallows up the last remaining Black Rhino, we are met with the careful soundings of DUMA’s newly commissioned work. A deep growling narration leads us through the echoes of gunshots, a saw to the horn, and the last guttural cry of the Black Rhino. In Kenya, and more widely throughout African culture, the African Black Rhino is regarded as a symbol of power and strength. They play a crucial role in the environment as grazers, consuming large amounts of vegetation - helping to shape the African landscape. The local people depend on the natural resources within Rhino habitat for food, fuel and income. The illegal poaching of Rhinos for their coveted horn has led to the near extinction of Rhinos throughout Asia and Africa. DUMA’s work addresses this future by integrating their thunderous footsteps and high pitched sounds as important collaborators that we have lost.

Duma are a Kenyan industrial grindcore and noise duo including vocalist Martin Khanja (aka Lord Spike Heart) as well as guitarist and producer Sam Karugu.
Duma was formed in 2018 in Kampala (Uganda) after both members played in various bands in Nairobi (i.a. “Lust of a Dying Breed” and “Seeds of Datura”). Their musical style was influenced by electronic music, metal, as well as their desire to experiment with a more electronic version of the metal music they had been making up until that point. The band's name, Duma, means "darkness" in the Kikuyu language. The duo's self-titled debut album, “Duma” was released in 2020 to positive reviews. The Guardian's Ammar Kalia stating: "What results is an intriguing picture, one that is challenging yet full of a depth that promises an exciting future for this nascent Kenyan scene", while Pitchfork's Mehan Jayasuriya gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, stating that "The Kenyan noise band’s debut is inventive and abrasive, a timely distillation of global chaos and techno-dystopian dread".