Tag: swahili hip hop
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Bongo Flava’s Heartbreak Anthem
“Mapenzi! Yataniua!” is a phrase that has taken Swahili pop culture by storm this past holiday season, and it is all thanks to Mbosso. In October of 2022, Bongo Flava artist, Mbosso, released “Yataniua”, a song part of his second studio album, Khan. The album includes 6 songs of which there is a mix of
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HHAP Ep. 74: Fid Q on Hip Hop, Language, & Culture in Tanzania
In this episode of Hip-Hop in Africa Podcast, have a long-awaited interview with Tanzanian artist, Fid Q. The conversation begins with a discussion of Fid Q’s legacy in Tanzanian Hip-Hop and his impact on the genre. We discuss his connection to Tanzanian youth and his impact on his music as he relates to his listeners on a deeper level. The conversation continues to discuss his previous projects that have been influential to his career and how he plans to move forward with similar Hip-Hop projects. We also discuss the future of Tanzanian Hip-Hop, his collaborations, and his thought process behind collaborating with the various artists he worked with. Fid Q also touches on how he pays homage to legendary MCs in the pioneering Hip-Hop group Kwanza Unit. He explains his perspective on the differences between the older generation of MCs versus the younger generation. The discussion continues onto the controversy surrounding languages used in the Tanzanian music industry. This moves the interview to speak on globalization and how it has changed Tanzania to speak English and other languages. Fid Q does mention that it is imperative to be proud of tradition as well, regardless of the choice of language used in an artist’s music. While globalization has caused controversy regarding language, we touch on how music is able to travel beyond borders to reach wider audiences, even mentioning how Fid Q’s music has become international. Fid Q mentions how his music is listened to and his struggle with streaming. The interview ends with questions around Tanzanian Hip-Hop artists being invited to perform in the U.S. Fid Q is on Twitter @FidQ & Instagram @therealfidq Part of the interview was recorded at Kilimanjaro Studios.
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Highlighting Tanzania’s female lyricist
Though there isn’t much on the internet to go off of for Chemical Flo, a.k.a. Claudia Lubao, her energy and spirit come through very clearly in her work. Today I’m going to look at Chemical Flo’s song Mary Mary. First, Chemical Flo’s mix of Swahili and English is much more subtle and quick than other
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Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa: Ni Wakati
by Msia Kibona Clark and Mickie Mwanzia Koster Now available in paperback & on Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Hip-Hop-Social-Change-Africa/dp/1498505805 This book examines social change in Africa through the lens of hip hop music and culture. Artists engage their African communities in a variety of ways that confront established social structures, using coded language and symbols to inform, question, and challenge. Through lyrical expression, dance, and graffiti, hip hop is used to challenge social inequality and to push for social change. The study looks across Africa and explores how hip hop is being used in different places, spaces, and moments to foster change. In this edited work, authors from a wide range of fields, including history, sociology, African and African American studies, and political science explore the transformative impact that hip hop has had on African youth, who have in turn emerged to push for social change on the continent. The powerful moment in which those that want change decide to consciously and collectively take a stand is rooted in an awareness that has much to do with time. Therefore, the book centers on African hip hop around the context of “it’s time” for change, Ni Wakati.
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Hip Hop Kilinge (cypher)
Hip hop in Tanzania stands strong through events like the open mic night at the New Msasani Club in Dar es Salaam. Every Saturday night artists come from around the city to freestyle and perform. Most nights begin with a discussion of hip hop history. Tanzanian hip hop heads discuss the emergence of hip hop