Rough Guide to the Music of Tanzania [ENHANCED]

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 17, 2006)
• Original Release Date: March 14, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: World Music Network
• ASIN: B000EHQ7NS
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,095 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Compilations > Africa

Track Listings

1. Tambiko

2. Dunua Dudumizi - X Plastaz

3. Omukaile Kilinjwi - Saida Karoli

4. Vingaravyo

5. Rehema - Mlimani Park Orchestra

6. Lukunzi - Master Musicians of Tanzania

7. Msumeno

8. Nimlilie Nani? - Ndala Kasheba

9. Mume Wa Mtu

10. Kibati

11. Piga Ua

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Tanzania is the new music capital of East Africa and from the spice islands of Zanzibar to the shores of the great lakes, The Rough Guide To The Music Of Tanzania explores the diversity of the country’s culture as expressed in its popular music. This album features hip-hop with a Maasai tinge, Haya vocal rhythms from Lake Victoria, acoustic taarab sounds from the Indian Ocean, together with the guitars and horns of Dar Es Salaam’s most famous dance bands.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rough Guide to Tanzania, January 19, 2009

By	C. Bishop (Albany, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rough guide to the music of Tanzania, September 19, 2007

By	Judy Repplinger "postalflower" (Sheridan, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diverse sounds of East African civilization, April 18, 2006

By	The Djeli (Ile Ife, Nigeria) - See all my reviews

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.