Search - Various Artists :: Poetry and Languid Charm: Swahili Music from Tanzania and Kenya from the 1920s to the 1950s

As recorded music developed in the early part of the 20th century, there was more and more pressure on commercial record labels to capitalize on indigenous music in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean. This was not some sort of altruistic exercise, rather a market that was open to exploitation. On the East African coast, site of the present day Tanzania and Kenya, there was a "gold rush" fever in the 1930s to record the local music stars. The music recorded was mostly "taarab", sung poetry accompanied by an ensemble that played with both traditional African rhythms with Arabic influences and used Arabic and Indian instruments. This exciting music is here released on CD for the first time, and has been remastered to produce outstanding sound quality from the original 78 rpm recordings. Text and compilation by Janet Topp Fargion.