Search - Various Artists :: Rough Guide to the Music of Tanzania

The Diverse sounds of East African civilization

The Djeli | Ile Ife, Nigeria | 04/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The East African nations of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda and Southern Somalia were all either a part of or heavily influenced by the Swahili civilization, whose prototype emerged as an indigenous civilization as early as 100 BC.



The civilization flourished independent of foreign political domination until 1500 AD, when the combination of European Imperialism and Middle Eastern expansionists raped and pillaged the Swahili and forced them into a cycle of destruction against themselves and their neighbors inland.



Regardless, the East African spirit has perservered and found independence through unity. If you want to hear the development of such unity in the form of classical Swahili music alongside Maasai youth embracing African American culture through Hip Hop, then there is no better place to start than this compilation.



Normally, I'm not a fan of The Rough Guide to "This Oppressed Country's Music" brought to you by their exploitative oppressors, but it is difficult to find East African music outside of such compilations in the United States. Unlike Western Africans, who are arguably the most influential people in modern music (via African Americans as well as contemporary "World Music" charts), Eastern Africa has not produced the equivalents of Fela Kuti or Salif Keita.



However, this region of the world has a rich musical heritage. The ancient combination of East African musical arrangements with the traditional Afro-asiatic style that emerged with Islam is noticable on several of the songs. Like it has in most of the world, West African sensibilities have also influenced the music of the Tanzanian people.



Like Mali, whose ancient heritage has created a sophistication in their music that they lead Africa's musical creativity, the combined legacy of Tanzania's Swahili civilization and their remarkable inland people such as the Maasai can bring forth this country for the rest of the world to hear."

Rough Guide to Tanzania

C. Bishop | Albany, NY | 01/19/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is just an "ok" CD. I tried to use this as background music in my classroom, but the music isn't consistent from song to song, which totally throws me and my student off. There's one song with a "hip-hop" beat, which I suppose is what you get from a larger city in Tanzania, but it's not exactly what I was looking for. The songs are ok, some are even quite enjoyable but the entire CD just wasn't doing it for me.

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Rough guide to the music of Tanzania

Judy Repplinger | Sheridan, Oregon, USA | 09/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I LOVE this CD, and keep it in my car and play it all the time. One of these times I will figure out all of the Kiswahili--so far it is only a word or phrase. The music is melodic, the time and rhythms interesting, and the subject matter thought-provoking. Especially like Saida Caroli's song."