The evolution of the the distinctive sounds of Tanzania

From traditional rhythms to modern genres, Tanzanian music has transcended mere melodies, assuming multifaceted roles that reflect the country’s diverse heritage and socio-political landscape. The rich history of music in Tanzania unveils a captivating narrative of resilience, resistance, celebration, and unity, illuminating the profound impact that music has had on shaping the nation’s past, present, and future. 

There are more than 120 ethnic groups in Tanzania, each of which developed their specific traditional musical and dance styles with corresponding instruments. Using traditional music for specific functions, they expressed aspects of human life through the human voice and instruments. There were songs for work, hunting, lullabies, battle songs, religious music, rituals such as baby-naming, therapy, weddings, processions, funerals and marching ceremonies.

Research conducted by Professor of African History Maria Suriano found that music was used for entertainment, unifying and politicizing purposes during the struggle for independence from Britain. Music was also used to criticize the British and popularize Julius Kambarage Nyerere (who became the first president of Tanzania) and other leaders of the Tanganyika African National Union, the main political party during the country’s struggle for independence. Most songs were composed and performed in Swahili, which was widely understood by the population. Suriano’s research and this YouTube video by John Kitime highlight that when the British realised how traditional music was unifying the masses, they imposed various forms of censorship on this music.

During the colonial era, popular music genres that evolved included ngoma, dansi and taarab, as noted by Suriano.

Even before colonisation, ngoma was the dominant form of cultural expression throughout the Great Lakes and Southern Africa. Ngoma is a Bantu term that encompasses music, dance and instruments. In Tanzania, it is also used to refer to significant life-changing events such as a girl’s first menstruation, births or deaths and other momentous celebrations, rituals, or competitions. 

Traditional ngoma dancing styles involve distinct hip movements and incorporate a diverse range of instruments, such as strings and horns, with drums being particularly prominent. Certain ngoma dances, like the Ambrokoi dance of the Maasai or the Ligihu of the Ngoni, may not involve any instruments. These dances typically feature energetic jumping and stomping, displaying significant movement and sometimes a more competitive element compared to those accompanied by instruments.

The main purpose of ngoma was to facilitate communication between elders and youth. It primarily functioned as a tool for educating young people and gaining insights into their lives, enabling elders to provide better guidance. However, the colonial masters, the British, viewed it as unchristian and detrimental to the “civilizing” process; as a result, it was outlawed.

Tanzanians created a new form of ngoma called Mganda with the intention of appealing to the colonial administrators. Mganda ngoma incorporated elements of Western military uniforms and attire, as well as some military instruments. This style evolved into a form of big band music, leading to the opening of the first clubs in Dar es Salaam and Tanga, where mganda ngoma bands performed. The video below shows a group of dancers performing the Mganda dance.

The Ngoma music genre gained popularity through radio broadcasts and studio recordings. 

Today, ngoma is deemed an official music genre in Tanzania by the National Arts Council (BASATA — Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa). It is performed, taught, and studied in many schools and universities.

In the early 20th century, soukous bands gained popularity in East Africa, leading to the emergence of dance clubs and music bands, especially in cities like Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, and Dar es Salaam. Tanzania began to create its distinctive fusion of soukous and rumba, known as Tanzanian rumba, now known as dansi. Bands like the Dar es Salaam Jazz Band, Morogoro Jazz and Tabora Jazz pioneered the Tanzanian rumba. 

Dansi or Muziki wa dansi is also referred to as “Swahili jazz” because of the predominant use of Swahili lyrics. The term “jazz” in Central and Eastern Africa encompasses soukous, highlife, and various dance music and big band genres. As highlighted by Music in Africa, the primary musical instruments in muziki wa dansi were three guitars, a drum set, alto and tenor saxophones, first and second trumpets, and the tumba, a variant of the conga drum.

After Tanzania’s independence in 1961, Julius  Nyerere’s government implemented a sponsorship system through which bands received financial support from government departments or other national institutions. The NUTA Jazz Band, named after its sponsor, the National Union of Tanzania, was a prominent dansi band during this period.

Dansi music thrived through the 1960s to the 1980s, marked by competitions, fan bases, and rivalries among bands. Each band developed its unique style (mitindo), often associated with specific dance moves. Mitindo played a crucial role in band identity, with musicians adapting their style when switching bands. Dansi evolved over time, incorporating European and American musical influences, transitioning from guitars to keyboards, synthesizers, and drum machines more recently.

In addition to the NUTA Jazz Band, other popular dansi bands included DDC Mlimani Park, International Orchestra Safari Sound, Juwata Jazz, Maquis Original, Super Matimila, and Vijana Jazz.

Taarab music is a vibrant fusion of pre-Islamic Swahili tunes presented in rhythmic poetic style, enriched with Arab-style melodies. It is highly popular, particularly among women, and is deeply ingrained in the social life of the Swahili people along the coastal areas, notably in Zanzibar, Tanga, Mombasa, and Malindi along the Kenyan coast. The influence of taarab has extended beyond coastal regions, reaching inland in countries like Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi in East Africa, where Taarab groups compete in popularity with Western music-inspired groups.

Seyyid Barghash bin Said (1870–1888) is credited with popularizing taarab in Zanzibar, initiating its spread throughout the African Great Lakes region. The sultan is known to have imported a taarab ensemble from Egypt, and later, he sent Mohamed Ibrahim, a talented young musician from Zanzibar to Egypt to learn music and play the kanun. Upon Ibrahim’s return, the Zanzibar Taarab Orchestra was formed. In 1905, the Ikwhani Safaa Musical Club, the second music society in Zanzibar, was established, and it remains active. The Culture Musical Club, founded in 1958, is another prominent Zanzibar taarab orchestra.

After the music spread from the sultan’s palace to Zanzibar weddings and community events, the renowned singer Siti bint Saad  (c.1880–August 1950) became a pivotal figure in taarab music. In 1928, Siti and her band became the first from the region to make commercial recordings, as the inaugural East African artist recorded at the Bombay HMV studios. She went on to become one of the most celebrated taarab musicians in history.

Over subsequent decades, influential bands and musicians like Bi Kidude, Mzee Yusuph, Culture Musical Club, and Al-Watan Musical Club ensured taarab’s prominence in the Tanzanian scene and its global reach. Bi Kidude gained fame for challenging societal taboos, expressing explicit content in her lyrics, and demonstrating courage by singing with her face uncovered. She continued to perform until her passing at the remarkable age of over 100 years.

Kidumbak ensembles, a genre related to taarab, gained popularity, particularly among Zanzibar’s less affluent population. These ensembles typically include small drums, bass, violins, and dancers.

The 1960s witnessed the modernization of taarab by groups like the Black Star Musical Club from Tanga, which expanded its reach to countries such as Burundi and Kenya. In recent times, modern taarab bands like East African Melody have emerged, along with related “backbiting” songs for women known as mipasho.

Music has played various roles in Tanzania, from serving entertainment purposes to acting as an educational, politicizing, and unifying force. Despite the challenges encountered along the way, its distinctive sounds have not gone extinct, showcasing the value of traditional music to Tanzanians.

For a playlist featuring these singers and other music from Tanzania, see the link below, and check out Global Voices’ Spotify for more eclectic music from around the world.

This article was written by Zita Zage and originally published on the Global Voices website on 2nd of April 2024. It is republished here under the media agreement between Shouts and Global Voices.