Tanzania music stories and histories
I first entered a studio to record with a band in 1982. This was after participating in the filming of a movie called ‘Wimbo wa Muanzi’, a film produced through a collaboration between the Tanzanian public company, Tanzania Film Company (TFC), and a Dutch company called One World Production. Along with three friends from our…
It has been 65 years since Tanganyika gained its Independence. The country has now gone through 6 phases of top government leadership. I have been fortunate to be a musician in all these phases. Today, allow me to tell you what it was like to be a musician in the glory days of the first…
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,…
Today, we continue our journey of remembering various bands across the country; today, let’s go to the Mbeya region. Let’s start with a history of Mbeya District. Before 1927, this district was known as the Igali District. The town of Mbeya began to gain prominence after the discovery of gold in various areas surrounding the…
Tanzanian music, like that of many other African countries, has traversed many peaks and valleys, a common experience for all art forms. There is absolutely no doubt that politicians in our country have also made significant contributions to bringing our music to where it is today. I am sure there is a lesson for today’s…
I want to start today by going through various regions where there were bands. Some bands were so famous that they gained recognition outside our country, while others were not very famous or didn’t last long. However, there are many artists who emerged from those small bands and later became famous nationally and even worldwide….
Tanzania yetu, ndio nchi ya kusifiwa,Kote ulimwenguni watu wote watambua. Those are lines from the lyrics of the popular song Tanzania yetu nchi ya furaha. The popularity of this song has led many young musicians to record it, and some have even run into trouble for recording it without obtaining permission from the composers. This…
In the original African rumba music arrangement, particularly from the 1950s onwards, bands employed a system of three guitars, which were designated as the solo guitar, rhythm guitar, and bass guitar. The solo guitar had a high tone, the rhythm guitar had a slightly heavier mid-range tone, and finally, the bass guitar had a heavier…
Belief in witchcraft is a culture that has existed in all human societies for thousands of years. History and various religious scriptures remind us of this through different interpretations. One might typically assume that as development and education increase, and scientific answers become available about various matters, belief in witchcraft would diminish and disappear. However,…
Tanga is one of the oldest cities in Tanzania, having served as the administrative capital during the German colonial period, when the country was known as German East Africa. The sisal farming industry, established during German rule, created many jobs and made Tanga a magnet for young people from every corner of our country and…