Yaliyosibu Music Planet Okt'14

By Sanaa & Culture

DJ Chiko from Uganda doing his thing in
the friendly DJ battle at Music Planet
in 'Samaki Samaki' in town 25th Okt

Mnamo Jumamosi ya mwisho wa mwezi huu, yani tarehe 25 Okt’14 pale Samaki Samaki mjini kati, palikuwa na mashindano ya kirafiki kati ya Ma DJ. Kilicho nishawishi kwenda ni pale  niliposikia mara kwa mara kwenye jukwaa hili, huwa na ushirikiano kati ya ‘percussionist’ na DJ. 

MC wa shughuli Da Tayana Amri (kulia) akipozi na
mshabiki aliyejishindia zawadi toka kwa
wadhamni wa Heinken at 'Samaki Samaki'
Music Planet Okt'14

Mi na ngoma ni kama mchanga na bahari, aya nisijifagilie sana. Ila ukweli kama mwana mziki huwa na pendelea midundo ya ngoma kwenye mimbo, haswa ile ya asili ya Afrika.

Kwenye saa nne usiku nilijikuta nimewasili ndani ya mgahawa wa Samaki Samaki. Already the DJ’s were on their stations them being the in house DJ Vasley and DJ Chiko all the way from Uganda. Shughuli rasmi ilikiwa metchi ya kirafiki kati ya hawa wawili, watu walikuwa wamejaa na tayari kuwasikia wakitushushia vitu kwenye meza zao.

The event which is under ‘Music Planet’ an endeavor between Maracas Ltd and Samaki Samaki Restaurants sponsored by Heinken has been going on in this vicinity for five months now (every last Saturday). Speaking with Maracas Director Mr Lusala it was to learn that…

In house DJ from TZ DJ Vasley akishusha ngoma
kwenye ulingo wake 'Samaki Samaki'
ndani ya Music Plaent Okt'14

“This year we came up with ‘Music Planet’ together with Samaki Samaki’s owner Carlos as a way to bring something different to the club scene. So we mix it up by bringing different DJ’s with varied styles and as you’ll see we have dance and live musicians collaborating with the DJ’s. Thankfully it’s been a good success so far and by next year we aim to have it at a bigger venue for every last Saturday of the month…”

The event was hosted by MC Tayana Amri and she stirred the crowd with her clear diction of both Kiswahili & English. Mavazi yake pia yalivutia akiwa kwenye kaSketi cha kuchanua na raba zenye soli ya rizoni na singlendi. It was playful yet sexy and fitting the scene, before long we heard a bell ring. 

Ikiashiria mashindano kati ya Ma DJ wetu yameanza rasmi, nilitega sikio kwa makini.

Bw Twaba Mohammed akiwachanganya washabiki
 na midundo yake kwenye Djembe akishirikiana
 na DJ Chiko at Music Planet Okt '14

DJ Vasley alifungua dimba akiturudisha enzi zetu na RnB za jadi (kwa sisi tuliyekuwa vijana makinda miaka ya 90) tukasismika tukimskiza Nelly na Kelly ‘I love you…’ hata Puff Daddy “I need a girl…’. Kidogo dakika kumi zikaaisha na mgeni wetu DJ Chiko naye akaingia ulingoni na kumwaga sera zake.

DJ huyu ngoma zake zimelemea kwenye miziki ya ‘House’ na mwanzoni nilimuonea huruma. Kwani kwanza nyimbo za ‘House’ nyingi hulemea ‘melody’ na sisi wa Afrika haswa huku Afrika Mashariki hupendelea midundo zaidi. Pili mwenzake Vasley alikuwa anajua kukuna zinazopendwa kwa mapana zaidi.

Vasley alikuwa anaweza kwenda kwenye aina mbali mbali za miziki ikiwemo za nyumbani yani Bongo Flava, mpaka reggae za kina Bob Marley an pop music a.k.a ‘Drunk in Love’ ‘wiggle wiggle’.

However while Chiko took mostly to house he had admirable discipline as a DJ. His choice of song had a story by the way in which he respected tempo and the cues for mixing. He also had a good pick of songs. Despite being in one genre (house) they displayed versatility with tracks that respected the popular choice of beats to melody.

The lovely waiters of 'Samaki Samaki' in their vitenge
looking fabulous during Music Planet Okt'14

In between the DJ rounds we had two dance pieces from T-Africa; they gave a scintillating routine however. That stage wasn’t working to their advantage, it being close to the entrance and not in fair view of the audience.

Hatimaye mwana ngoma Twaba Mohammed a.k.a Chief Twaba alikaribia jukwani akiwa na kifaa kimoja tu ‘Ngoma ya Djembe’. Ama kweli mi mzuka ulipanda na camera niliweka pembeni na kujikuta na cheza kama akili zimetekwa na ngoma.

Mchanganyiko wa ngoma na midundo ya DJ ulikuwa wa aina yake na wengine pale Samaki Samaki waliliona hilo. Kwani watu walimzunguka Chief Twaba kama nyuki pa asali, wengine wakiwa wanamchukua mkanda na simu zao za mkononi. Nilifurahi kuona vijana wa Tanzania wakimshangilia mwana mziki anayepiga chombo ‘moja kwa moja’ jukwaani.

Am sure at the end you’re wondering who won, I didn’t stick till the end to see how the audience voted. Suffice to say I wouldn’t be surprised if the vote was close and the wining champion was Vasley solely because he played favored tracks and was playing on home turf.

However in my professional opinion Chiko won this round by a good few kilometers. Vasley needs to brush his skills more on good progressive tempo. Something you could have detected if you listened well when the percussionist was with Chiko vis a vis Vasley.

Wana T-Africa wachezaji wakitumbuiza zaidi
ndani ya Music Planet Oktoba 2014 pale 'Samaki Samaki' mjini

With Chiko there was more synergy in the song from DJ and beats from Djembe because Chiko respected tempo something a percussionist lives by; Vasley is still a rooky here. Yes he played favored tracks but you couldn’t dance freely while Vasley played as you were always aware when the next track was coming (too much mix gaps on the intros/exits and lack of progressive flow in tempo).  A good DJ makes you feel that one long tantalizing song is playing and here Chiko was more the winner.

Hivyo wenzangu mambo huku ni moto msikose kabisa mkisikia ‘Music Planet’ ipo mtaani.