In our journey to remember various bands across the country, one thing is very clear: in the matter of music generally, we have regressed significantly. In the past, there were private bands, government bands, and bands owned by political parties; almost every town had more than one band. There were far fewer people than today, yet they had more choices for entertainment than we do now. There are several reasons for this, but it is not the intention of this article to discuss them. However, after touring the entire country, one might inevitably wonder: how did we get to where we are now?
Before continuing the journey, there is something to ponder; during the first three phases of this country’s leadership, artists from everywhere were equally respected, which is why you find that every district had music groups, some of which eventually emerged and became known nationwide. These days, it is very common for top leaders to be accompanied by ‘big’ artists from Dar es Salaam; you would think there are no artists outside Dar es Salaam, or that the leadership is going to another country to promote their nation’s artists.
Let us start with the White Jazz Band. This band was based in Lindi town. One musician who later shone nationally, who had passed through this band, was the late Mzee Kasim Mapili. He joined the band in 1958, and there is every reason to believe it already existed before that year.
In the picture below is a piece of an old newspaper showing that, as early as 1947, there was already a band in Lindi. Cheers to Lindi!
By 1963, there was already a band called Jamhuri Jazz Band in Lindi town. This band belonged to the TANU Youth League. This Jamhuri Jazz Band existed long before the much more famous Jamhuri Jazz Band of Tanga, which adopted that name in 1967. Although the Tanga Jamhuri Jazz Band was established in 1955 as the Young Nyamwezi Band.
While we are still in Lindi, we cannot fail to mention the Mitonga Jazz Band. This band did great work by releasing a series of beloved hits, including “Mariana” and “Sitaoa tena Mchinga,” which are still aired on the radio today and loved by those hearing them for the first time.
The album for the song “Mariana” was recorded by the Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam sound engineers at the Police Hall in Lindi, but its quality surpasses many songs recorded in modern studios—a fact that shows the skill of the musicians in that band and the expertise of the sound engineers then.
Leaving Lindi, we enter the town of Masasi. This town also had many bands and produced many musicians who later became famous across East Africa. Let’s start with the Masasi Jazz Band. This band produced famous musicians like keyboardist Gerald Nangati, and two skilled rhythm guitarists, including Ally Makunguru, who later played for bands like JKT Kimbunga Stereo, Mlimani Park, International Orchestra Safari Sound, Tanzania Stars, MK Group, and eventually moved to Kenya, where he also played music in famous major bands there. I met Ally Makunguru for the first time when I was the leader of a small band in Iringa called Chikwala chikwala in Iringa in 1975; I remember the day he introduced himself, he told me he was from Masasi, where he had been a member of a band called Kochoko Jazz Band.
It was from the Masasi Jazz Band that rhythm guitar player Charles Ray Kasembe came from; he was poached from there by Juma Kilaza of the Cuban Marimba Band. He did not stay long with the Cuban Marimba, as he crossed over to the Morogoro Jazz Band under Mbaraka Mwinshehe. His music journey also took him to Dodoma International Orchestra, and finally, he moved to Kenya, where he had his own band, Les Volcano.
Another band that existed in Masasi was the Umoja Jazz Band. There was also a TANU Youth League Jazz Band in that town, which, as I said, was common in many towns. It is clear there were deliberate TANU policies (the ruling party then) to ensure every district had a TANU youth band. Henry Mkanyia another musician who later became a lead guitarist in bands like JKT Kimbunga Stereo and DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra, and eventually TZ Brothers Band, was a product of the Masasi TANU Youth League Band.
As were many towns then, Masasi was a small town at that time, yet it had a number of bands. And those I have mentioned here are the ones only in my memory.
Nachingwea was not silent either; there was a band called Mondomondo Jazz Band, which brought entertainment to the residents of that town.
Mtwara was another lively town down in southern Tanzania, a bit bigger than Lindi then. Mtwara has continued to produce skilled musicians who have shone nationally and internationally. Among the bands that existed in Mtwara, let’s start with the band that took the name of the town: Mtwara Jazz Band. Also, early after Independence, there was a band called Honolulu Jazz Band. The Port Authority in the old days was very involved in sports and culture, and in Mtwara it established a band called Bandari Mtwara Jazz Band. But there were also other bands in this town; there was also Mambo Jazz Band and Bantu Jazz Band.
For today, I will conclude by mentioning a band that existed in a town not often mentioned when it comes to bands: Kilwa Masoko. This town also had a band called Lucky Star Jazz Band. But Kilwa town itself has produced musicians who certainly made a significant contribution to Tanzania’s music. Who doesn’t know the famous son of Kilwa, Ahmad Kipande, who was the founder of the great Kilwa Jazz Band?
