Tribal hiphop

Greetings relatives,
Our continent Africa is blessed with cultural wealth. From the chants of the Masai warriors to click songs of San people, they are all found in this great continent. In Tanzania we have 135 tribes each with its own unique culture and traditions. There are many tribes when they sing you will say thats hiphop. After all the birthplace of hiphop is Africa.

The strange thing is we africans imitate the commercial hiphop from the US. Where big companies have distorted hiphop and made it a tool of making money rather than a voice for the oppressed. We have native instruments that we can fuse to make beats,we have chants to fuse with oue songs but yet we also want to imitate them so that we can look good. Why dont we believe in our selves and come with our flava and style. What examples are we to African Americans. Our brothers and sisters who were stolen from Africa many many years ago.

In Snoops lyrics he says if he is riding in his wheels and i a soul crosses the road , he is not afraid to kill the pesron. Is that councious ? Will that address our problems and make us better. If the person who is crossing the road is African? Do we care.

Its time to bring the pride of Africa back. Let our music reflect our spirit and our culture. Someone who copies has no creativity and i know for sure we have a mountain of creativity.

Africa shines,

Mpaka baadaye,

Salamu kwa Mkwawa na Mirambo....

I think own music mixed with western and other influence is coming famous soon. I see it also very important as a researcher as u too. I dont think african musicians have low trust to themselves. All cultural movements are slow, and in music is habit that u find the easiest way to get famous. When everybody knows you, its easier to make music with own influence. And maybe eastern africans didint get such a good change and market than west, where had always been famous musicians. In Tanzania there is Bagamoyo college and I think they have always made new music with great traditional influence what they have. I think all this great music in comin out soon. You can also tell if Im wrong

I want to tell you something that really fascinated me, i have a friend who came visiting from England and she decided to make a traditional garment. When we were strolling in the streets,my fellow Tanzanians man and women mostly dressed westerned remarked how beautiful her dress was and how beautiful she looks. Many native things made in Arusha are not used by the native but made for tourist.

I see the same pattern in music. Most people who appreciate Bagamoyo are westerners. Most Tanzanians and close friends including graduated from Bagamoyo and ran away to Sweden or Norway. Hip hop to us isnt about making money. Its a vehicle used by our fore fathers to preserve indigenous knowledge,crictise,entertain and shape our cultural identity.

Even today if you listen the songs of the Bushmen or the Barbaig you will see these messages floating and reminding the audience and the singer their position in this web of life.

We Aang Serian have started a studion in Arusha so that we can help to create a living culture of singing of fore -fathers songs and at the same time preserve it. It has proven difficult when we told numerous artists to create something that more reflects them than imitate Run DMC or Snoop.

I belive we can learn from each other and enrich our music but i dont believe always to take what the west throws at us. Most commercial hiphop in the west has lost its hearts to money. But there is still light at the end of the cave. My friend Gsann of Xplasts says "What about our foods,our madecine and our ways of life" in their album.

I say what about our own style and our own issues.

i dont think you are imitating the west if you make a good dancable beat and some good rhymz. the beat that you have made is not made by the americans and the rhymz are not american. i think it would be better for the africans to grow their hiphop styles and create even more hiphop and get famous from it because then the african kids wont imitate the american but the african rappers. it would also be nice to see some more salif kietas around tho :P