Banana Zorro & The Beat Festival at Paparazzi

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The man himself Banana Zorro performing
at the Beat Festival in
Paparazzi Club at Slipway last month

Musicians on stage instruments, igniting sound into the night, lulling the day's blisters away. Slowly pacing my steps on Slipway grounds, in Masaki Dar es Salaam. It's the 19th of Feb, I was looking forward to enjoying live music from 'The Beat Festival' at Papaazzi Club; organised by Mzungu Kichaa under his label Caravan Records.

Arriving around 8pm, the show hadn't started and so I darted to hear a live band, that was spewing some jazz upstairs at the 'Slipway Terrance restaurant'. I was happy to spot Leonard on the base, a musician I had played with before, he introduced me to Bellia. She was the older lady playing the Sax and doing it with ease. This was a nice starter to the evening ahead.

Muda mfupi baadaye nilirudi chini, kwani tamasha la 'The Beat' lilianza.  Kikundi cha Wika Band, ndo wakanza waliopanda jukwaani. Wakiwa na mwimbaji wao mkuu Ashimba, kwa kweli kijana huyu ambaye ndo mtunzi mkuu wa nyimbo zao. Ana furahisha kwa midundo ya kipekee, yenye rafudhi kamilifu za miziki kwenye dimbwi la 'Afro-fusion au World'. Nyimbo alizopiga zina mizizi ya Muziki wa asili wa Tanzania; vivyo hivyo huziimba kwa kilugha na kiswahili.

Ashimba with his acoustic lead guitar,
with his band WIKA at the February Beat Festival

Mzungu Kichaa the man behind
The Beat Festival doing his thing 

Kwa mtazamo wangu, Wika walifana sasa usiku huu. Nitawakosoa kidogo tu nakusema, hailp mbeleni wapunguze sauti ya vyombo vyao

Kwani sauti ilipitiliza kidogo, niliongea na 'Sound Engineer'- Johna Kagaruki. Alinionyesha wazi jinsi wanamuziki wengi usiku ule kwa mazoea ya kupiga kwenye kumbi kubwa zaidi. Walikuwa wanapiga vyombo vyao kwa sauti ya juu na vivyo kupoteza uhondo halisi wa vionjo vya vyombo mbalimbali kwa pamoja.

The B Band wakiwa na mtemi wao Banana Zorro, walifuatia jukwani. Kabla ya hapo nilipata fursa ya kupata maneno machache toka kwa Banana, juu ya tamasha hili la 'The Beat'. Aliniambia kama msanii wa 'Bongo Flava' alifurahishwa kupiga Ngoma na wasanii wa miziki ya 'live' kwenye tamasha hili, kama Ashimba.

Hip Hop rising star Wakazi,
at the Beat Festival in Feb

"Hapa mimi nipo darasani, najifunza mengi..." Nilipo mdokeza na yeye ana yapi ya kuwapa kama mawaidha wanamuziki hawa wa miziki ya 'afro-fusion'. Kwani yeye anajulikana na washabiki wengi Tanzania  kuliko wao, alisema. "Ni muhimu wawekeze kwenye kujitangaza; wakitoa wimbo wasisite kuwashirikisha waandishi wa habari wa redio na TV. Wasiogope rushwa, kwani rushwa ni changamoto ya dunia nzima sio kwenye miziki peke yake."

Well the man was dynamic on stage and true to form his music has more alignment with live instruments; than many 'Bongo Flava' musicians in the country. So we heard his hits like 'Nzela' and people were crawling to the dance floor.

The next act was Webiro Wassira a,k.a Wakazi, this rising Hip Hop star from Tanzania. Who is nominated for the Kora Awards this year. You can still vote for him till the 20th by going to this website http://www.koraawards.com/en/music/nominees-best-hip-hop/ Was a gem onstage, I loved that he used live musicians for his pieces, he's one to watch.

The last act was Mzungu Kichaa himself, he played his numbers to the delight of the fans present, including his new single 'relax your mind'. His music wasn't too loud and we all danced to his songs with relish...

Kauzeni Lyamba lightening the Djembe
drum in Wika Band at the Beat Festival in February

Mise Leiman on ryhtm electic guitar at
Wika Band on the Beat Festival in Feb

Lead guitarist Godfrey Mkude of
The B Band performing at the February Beat Festival

From left on the Base Sam & on 
the Rythm electric guitar is 
Mwapao performing with 
Mzungu Kichaa at 
the Beat Festival in Feb

Kevin Mpaganala on the Base Guitar for 
The B Band performing at the Beat Festival in Feb

Shaaban Rashid on the keys with Mzungu Kichaa

At Slipway Terrace restaurant in Masaki,
left is Bellia & far right on the Base is Leonard