Music of Tanzania

thumb|[[Bi Kidude Taarab Pioneer]]

thumb|right|Poet Mrisho Mpoto

As it is in other countries, the music in Tanzania is constantly undergoing changes, and varies by location, people, settings and occasion. The five music genres in Tanzania, as defined by BASATA are, ngoma, dansi, kwaya, and taarab, with bongo flava being added in 2001. Singeli has since the mid-2000s been an unofficial music of uswahilini for unplanned communities in Dar es Salaam, and is the newest mainstream genre since 2020.

Ngoma (Bantu, meaning dance, drum and event) is a traditional dance music that has been the most widespread music in Tanzania. Dansi is urban jazz or band music. Taarab is sung Kiswahili poetry accompanied by a band, typically string, in which audience is often, but not always, encouraged to dance and clap. Three recent influence on bongo flava are Afropop in the 2010s, as well as bongopiano and singeli. Singeli is a ngoma music and dance whereby a MC performs over fast tempo taarab music, often at between 200–300 beats per minute (BPM) while women dance. Male and female MCs are near equally common, however styles between MC gender typically differ significantly. Male MCs usually perform in fast paced rap, while female MCs usually perform kwaya. Only the 4 Tanzanian genres were permitted to be recorded or broadcast, which at the time was ngoma, taarab, kwaya and dansi. The Broadcasting Services Act of 1993 allowed private broadcast networks and recording studios. In the few years prior to the 1993 Act hip hop had been established in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza. It was transitioning from English performances to hip hop originated from uzunguni, rich areas like Oysterbay and Masaki with the international schools, to Kiswahili performances of kizazi kipya, originating in uswahilini Following the opening of the radio waves, bongo flava spread throughout the country, and the rest of the Great Lakes. The traditional forms of ngoma dancing prominently feature movements of the hips. It also features a large variety of instruments used, but most notable is the use of drums, specifically those that take the name from the style, ngoma drums. In more recent times, particularly after 1985, this has been changing with ngoma becoming both more modern, and fluid or creative.

Taarab (poetry)

thumb|left|Taarab performance by Kithara Orchestra of Zanzibar performing in [[Paris|Paris, France]]

thumb|right|Taarab/Kidumbak Ensemble, 2015 by [[Dhow Countries Music Academy|DCMA]]

Taarab is a music genre popular in Tanzania and Kenya. It is stage-performed music that consists of sung Kiswahili poetry, usually about love, Taarab spread to the mainland and neighboring countries in the 1920s and rose to prominence in 1928 with the advent of the genre's first star, Siti binti Saad. Kwaya was originally a purely European form of music brought to Tanganyika by the Europeans and practiced in churches to the accompaniment of only European instruments, usually in European language.

Following independence in 1961, the TANU government understood the usefulness of kwaya for secular purposes to create a national identity, and promote education and ujamaa. Mwalimu Nyerere spoke of focusing on African traditions rather than western traditions, and contrasted ngoma against muziki wa dansi, in his inauguration speech in on 1962.

The Tanzanian national anthem is Mungu Ibariki Africa (God Bless Africa), composed by South African composer Enoch Sontonga in 1897. The tune is the ANC's official song and later became the national anthem of South Africa. The melody is also the national anthem of Zambia. In Tanzania, Swahili lyrics were written for this anthem. - Another patriotic song, going back to colonial times, is Tanzania, Tanzania.

The renowned Tanzanian music artist Mbaraka Mwinshehe (June 27, 1944 - January 12, 1979) was the most popular and original musician of Tanzania, culminating in contributions to the "African rumba" movement arguably originated in the Congo from decades prior.He and other Tanzanian musicians contributed a lot to the development of Soukous claimed to originate from DRC and Congo Republic only.

Also, there was a greater influx of musicians from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), who entered into Tanzania as refugees to then earn a living and relocate there. But in recent decades, mainly from the mid-1990s, a new generation of musicians has emerged to create popular music that is predominantly Tanzanian in form. Bands like Twanga Pepeta (African Stars Band), among others, created new and original Tanzanian sounds.

Reggae and dancehall

Jah Kimbuteh is the first major reggae star in Tanzania, beginning his career with Roots and Culture in 1985. Newer artists in the Tanzanian reggae genre include the Jam Brothers and Ras Innocent Nyanyagwa.

At present, Ras Nas is considered one of the best-known reggae musicians from Tanzania. Ras Nas combines reggae, afro, and dub poetry. Many musicians work in bands that play at a hotel, usually led by a keyboard and including a rock-based sound.

Rock

One of the most internationally famous rock musician, Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara into the Indian Parsi community of Stone Town, Zanzibar, moved to England after the Zanzibar Revolution over through British, and later Arab, colonial rule. He rose to worldwide fame as the lead singer, and a songwriter and instrumentalist, of the rock music group Queen. Neither Mr. Mercury, or the band Queen, ever performed in Tanzania. Their only African performance being the very controversial 1983 Works Tour where Queen disregarded UN Sanctions and performed in Apartheid South Africa to widespread condemnation by audiences and artists worldwide. The Mercury House, a former home of the Bulsara family, opened as a souvenir store in Stone Town, Zanzibar, in 2002. It opened as a museum to Freddie Mercury on 24 November 2019.

Distribution and access to music

The mushrooming of FM music stations and reasonable production studios has been a major boost to the music industry in Tanzania. Contemporary artists like Diamond Platnumz, Harmonize, Juma Nature, Nandy, Rayvanny, Ali Kiba, Lady Jaydee, Mr. Nice, Mr. II, Cool James, Dully Sykes, Professor Jay and many others command a huge audience of followers in the country and neighbouring countries.

More information about Tanzanian music and events can be found on the various web portals that have sprung up recently. Tanzania has an enormously high growth rate for internet technologies, estimated at up to 500% per year. Because costs for computers are still quite high, many users share connections at internet cafes or at work.naomba.com business directory, tanzaniadirectory.info Movie, and Sports information, and Arusha locality information all are part of an increasing number of websites dedicated to the region. Digital Tanzania music downloads are mostly done by free download websites and music platforms like iTunes, Google Music, etc.

References

External links

List of Top Tanzanian Songs – Tanzanian Music Website
BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Music of Zanzibar – Taarab and Ikwan Safaa. Accessed 25 November 2010.
BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Culture Musical Club and Bi Kidude. Accessed 25 November 2010.
New Tanzania Music Songs. Accessed 25 November 2010.