Day Four: January 21 2019 Mwanza

The next morning we drove about an hour to Kisesa (A) to record two groups:

Group 1: Mchele Mchele Sanaa Group:    This group, from the Sukuma community, was formed in 2010 and performs with a number of styles: Bukomia Lume, Buchheye, Wigashe.  

Their instruments are: Ng’oma (Drums), Pembe (animal horns, large impala), Firimbi (flute), and Njuga (shakers).

We recorded five performances:

  1. Ntale Atabihyala: ‘The boss, who is always wrong, wants to be always right. Just accept it’
  2. Ba Tanzania (Malima):   Praising country, encouraging farmers and hard work – this song had an incredible beat.
  3. Ng’oma ya Asilia: a traditional song
  4. Ali Nilihali: A lady turned down Man 1 because he was poor and settled on Man 2 who was even poorer. Meanwhile Man 1 got rich and lady came back to him and the song asks, “So how did it end up?”
  5. Magic Moment on a song Ndono.

They then did a lot of dances with ‘modern’ music on speakers.

Group 2: Camera: Camera, who has been performing since 1999, is from Nzega and from the Sukuma community, playing in the Kadete style.   Camera plays the Kadete (like the Zeze from earlier and Orutu from Kenya).  

He is an extremely cool cat, who we actually discovered walking the streets with his instrument during the RECCE.

We recorded five performances:

  1. Changamoto: This is about life’s challenges
  2. Mawazo Gakwira: About deep worries
  3. Nkewane nsanja: girlfriend got pregnant and came to singer for papers
  4. Tudumishe mila: about honouring our culture
  5. Raisi Ametamka: politicians must support education

Sadly, we then got rained out and went back to hotel. We scheduled additional groups for same location the next day.

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