Wakazi, Grace Matata, Msafiri Zawose na Malfred pamoja kwenye kambi ya Muziki ZNZ

Twitter: @CarolAnande Instagram: @CarolAnande Facebook: @CarolAnande

 

Wakazi the KORA
nominated Hip Hop artists,
 dropping hot lines
during the evening jam sessions

A call came from CDEA-Culture Development East Africa, an NGO based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Urging musicians who are looking to amp their marketing skills in Tanzania to apply for a musician’s boot camp, to be held at Red Monkey Lodge in Jambiani Zanzibar from the30th May to June 3rd. 

As it goes I was one of those applicants and so together with an eclectic mix of experienced and breaking musicians like myself. On Monday late morning on the 30^th we were shuffling our instruments and bags through the ferry at Dar es Salaam, ready to sail for Zanzibar. 

Annette Ngongi
singing her soulful heart out at the jam sessions

The musicians selected for the workshop included Msafiri Zawose (Vocalist, Zeze/Irimba player), Wakazi (MC-Hip hop), One the Incredible (MC-Hip-hop, Producer), Grace Matata (Vocalist, Guitarist), Shabani Jam (Base/ Lead guitarist & keyboardist), Leonard Oscar Kayoyo (Base & lead guitarist), Annette Ngongi (Vocalist), Carol Anande (Vocalist, Spoken word) Remigius Sostenes (Drummer, Guitarist), Christopher ‘Topher Jax’ (Vocalist), Amina Omar (Taarab vocalist, Oud player), Willie HD (Producer, Base guitarist, keyboardist), Malfred (Reggae Vocalist, Guitarist) and Jeff Mduma (Vocalist & guitarist).    

The talented Sam Hokororo
singing with his guitar during
 the evening Jam sessions

The boot camp involved guest lecturers during the day with jam sessions at night with experienced sound engineers. Among the facilitators was Miss Jude Clark a digital marketing strategist who taught the relevance of having a good online foot print for the musicians present. We also had Veronika Kamwele & Segali from DOT-Digital Opportunity Trust an NGO based in Dar es Salaam; who facilitate for entrepreneur skills. 

They assisted us in creating our websites as well in rendering key tips on how to sustain a living as musicians apart from selling our music via records and gigs.

The team was also fortunate to have a sit with Prof Mitch Strumpf, an ethnology-musicologist teaching at the Dhow Academy of Music in Zanzibar. He played for us, the first recorded music from Tanzania which was recorded back in 1906. 

The Baad Base guitarist  Leonard Oscar Kayoyo

The team also had the pleasure of sitting down with John Kitime, the veteran musician in Tanzania, who sat at the board of COSOTA (Tanzania Copyright Society) for years.  He brushed the team on copyright laws in the country, a topic the musicians found most interesting as questions never ceased.

Producer Sam Jones of Sound thread was another guest speaker at the serene surroundings of Red Monkey Lodge. He presented several recordings from his clients in East Africa who include the band Sarabi from Kenya. Slowly unpacking the ingredients of the same so as to showcase what makes a good record. 

Wise words came from Yusuf Mahmood the festival director for Sauti za Busara; he incited the musicians to apply for next year’s festival. The musicians present who had participated in the festival in previous years, like Msafiri Zawose, Sam Hokororo and Leonard Kayoyo; voiced their experience giving both positive and negative feedback, which was received constructively by Yusuf. 

Grace Matata charming
 the audience at the evening jam sessions

We learned what it took to put such a festival together and how without any grant from the government despite being a tourist attracting magnet injecting millions of USD into the economy. The organizers have to hustle in getting sponsors as ticket sales alone; don’t cover the costs of the four day festival. Reasons of which this year it was cancelled for the first time since its inception in 2004.

Other speakers included Rebecca Corey one of the founders for the Tanzania Heritage Project an NGO currently working to preserve our nation’s rich aural history particularly music from the early 20^th century in digital format. She showcased a documentary she was featured in (via CNN-Inside Africa).

With Yusuf Mahmood the director of
Sauti za Busara festival
on his presentation to the musicians

With one of the main subjects being Warema Chacha a musician playing the ‘Litungu’, a musical instrument with origins in the Luo tribe. Rebecca went on to insist on the importance of having our music today, evolve from our own historical sounds. She cited Mr Chacha as a perishing gem which if more musicians don’t learn from, his skills on the instrument could well disappear from our ears.

The workshop left many of the participants enthused to pursue their careers with relish “We’re so glad that the musicians received this well, hopefully we’ll be able to pull this off next year and in the years to come…” Mark Dieler-owner of Red Monkey Lodge, an avid lover of music who gave the rooms at his lodge for free during this workshop.

The musicians made very creative collaborations be sure to expect some hot tracks from the bunch this year...  

Msafiri Zawose with his Zeze at the workshop

From right-Annette Ngogi,
One The Incredible, Wakazi, Sam Hokororo & Remy

Carol Anande, yours truly composing
some tunes on the spot at the evening jam sessions

A group photo with all the participants of the workshop

Jeff Mduma
doing his thing during the evening jam sessions

Shabani Jam comfortable with his guitar
during an informal jam session
with his fellow musicians at the workshop

Remy (left) with an acoustic guitar
and Amina Omar on the Oud
churning some music together

Remitius Sosnes on
the guitar jamming with
fellow musicians on the
beach by Red Monkey Lodge in ZNZ

Malfred the Reggae & raggaton crooner from TZ

With Jude Clark the experienced Digital Marketing Strategist who gave amazing insights to the musicians in the workshop

During the  presentation by Rebecca Corey