For the first time in history taarab music will make its way into Zimbabwe later this month.
The Taarab-Kidumbak Ensemble from the
Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) in Zanzibar is scheduled to perform
in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, for six days, starting from April 28
to May 3.
DCMA Academic Director Professor Mitchel
Strumpf, told the ‘Daily News’ that while taarab music has been
successfully performed in India from 1928 with recording performances by
the late singer Siti Bint Saad, together with numerous performances in
Europe by the late Bi Kidude and instrumentalist Mohamed Issa Matona and
others, this will be the first time this genre is making its way into
the interior of Africa, as far south-west as Zimbabwe.
“Intra-African streams of music
influence have had significant influence on the spreading of music
traditions within Africa,” he said. “Examples are the spread of musical
bow traditions that travelled with the Ngoni migration over one hundred
years ago bringing these traditions from the South African coast to
northern Malawi and southern section of this country,” he added.
Prof Strumpf also talked about the
yodel-singing traditions of the short-statured people of the Congo
spreading southward through sections of Central Africa, all the way to
the Cape and even within Tanzania with Massai song traditions greatly
influencing Wagogo vocal music.
“While these north-south musical
migrations took place many years ago, there have been little similar
east-west musical migrations,” the don said. This is why the historical
concert tour by the Taarab-Kidumba Ensemble of the DCMA is so
significant to their students and staff.
While Zanzibar music has been greatly
affected by the music of the Portuguese from the 1500s to the 1700s, the
Arab traditions from the 1700s to the 1900s and the European/American
traditions (German, British and the United States) since 1900, the music
of Zanzibar had little opportunity to influence other music traditions.
They are excited that now the taarab
music of Zanzibar, which is greatly influenced by the café music of
Egypt 150 years ago, will be brought to Zimbabwe for performances at the
Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).
“To the best of our knowledge, this will
be the first time taarab and kidumbak traditions of Zanzibar will be
performed this far west of the East African coastline.
Ten musicians from here (DCMA) will make this historic safari and will offer four performances in Harare,” Prof Strumpf said.
The four performances will consist of
two major concerts, a street show in the middle of Harare and a school
workshop in taarab drumming, dance and song.
Further, the historic tour will be well
documented. The DCMA hopes the concerts will help other people from
Zimbabwe and elsewhere to learn more about their centre and the
‘greatness’ of the taarab-kidumbak traditions.
