When a genre of music that has changed very little from its original format over a period of nearly a century begins to embrace contemporary influences, then its traditional fan base is often stunned by the transformation.

Taarab, the soundtrack from the east coast of Africa, whose main influences are Arabic and Indian melodies and Swahili poetry, has adopted over the past three decades a range of modern elements to survive against the onslaught of urban music that is popular with a younger generation.

Kenyan cartoonist and music researcher Paul “Maddo” Kelemba, who grew up listening to traditional taarab bands in Mombasa, says there have been marked differences in the development of music in recent years.

On a trip to Zanzibar to record and film various taarab ensembles as part of the Singing Wells Music Project, a collaboration between Ketebul Music from Kenya and Abubilla Music from the UK, Kelemba says he was struck by the distinctive differences in the instrumentation, lyrics and melody of taarab.

“Zanzibar taarab is very distinctive, rich and customary,” he says.

“The classic multi-string string instrument, the qanun, has, for example, been largely replaced by the synthesizer. “

The Qanun was imported from India and one of the masters of the island is Rajab Suleiman, leader of the Kithara group, whose performance in Nairobi in July this year was reviewed in the BDLife.

In an interview after his show in Nairobi, Rajab said his band has stuck with the traditional taarab format despite the wave of change that has swept through the island’s music.

Dar es Salaam bands do not use violins or oud, instead prefer keyboards, and have also strongly adopted the rumba bassline and lead guitar similar to Congolese rumba and soukous bands.

For four days, the production team of Sing well recorded various groups including Nyota za Meremeta conducted by Professor Mohammed IIyas, multi-instrumentalist and singer who is also a music teacher at Dhow Country Music Academy,

The Tausi Women’s Taarab Group led by Mariam Hamdani, supported by all-female background singers, rocked visitors with melodies from an array of instruments, oud, violins, accordion, percussion and qanun

Another notable female ensemble is the Unyago group whose name refers to a style of taarab which is a product of the Tanzanian msondo style based on traditional drums. The group is led by Amina Abdalla, who claims to have inherited the mantle of legendary Zanzibari singer Bi Kidude.

She is a descendant of the Wagingo people who were shipped from Malawi during the slave trade. His cheeky lyrics are accompanied by a dancer’s movement that leaves the audience in no doubt as to the meaning of the song.

Some of Zanzibar’s younger generations of musicians have embraced taarab, such as the Uriithi group with elaborate kaswida performances and Zam Zam, an even younger group of artists who are much sought after for weddings.

There are some interesting musical experiences in Zanzibar like the fusion of jazz with taarab by Tarajazz, a group of 5 musicians led by saxophonist Hassan Juma Mahenge who formed the group with graduates from Dhow Country Music Academy.

The Sekimbukwe group play an acoustic setup consisting of an assortment of traditional drums and shakers and a horn producing a sound that Kelemba compares to a ship’s foghorn.

“To his amazement, we asked the player to step back into the background, which must have bothered someone so used to being the center of attraction,” he notes.

The recording sessions also brought the band to the rural branch of Dhow Country Music Academy in Mahonda whose resident band is Kizazi Kipya (despite their name meaning New Generation, the band actually includes an older generation of musicians led by Thabit Omar Ali)

At neighboring Matamwe, the group met a trio of energetic performers known as Kirundo who combine guitar, kalimba and percussion.

“Their vigorous, sturdy and fiery frolic even made Tabu Osusa dance, and you know that when Tabu dances, the music must be uplifting,” says Kelemba.

The final recording was made with the famous Culture Musical Club, a group founded in the 1960s that has survived numerous personnel changes.

The group includes up to 45 members for their great concerts with instruments such as violins, oud, accordion, qanun, double bass and drums. Their performance format involves a heavy expenditure of instrumental segments before the ladies in the back row emerge one by one, by song, with their vocal solos. “Their arrangement looks affable without being overbearing,” says Kelemba.

One of the most rewarding aspects of following an artist’s career is watching them flourish judging by how most affiliates react to their performances.

Dilukshi Sirimane has been on our music scene for a long time, sitting at the piano stool and delighting audiences with his melodic interpretation of tunes, no matter what category of music they belong to. In short, the categories are wide and she succeeds while concentrating on her daily administrative tasks.

With an LLB behind her name, she is a lawyer who has worked in intergovernmental and commercial institutions, has been a host at SLBC for its domestic and Asian services and has also lent her voice to Capital Radio. A familiar figure in the Barefoot Band when the musicians fall on Sunday afternoons, Dilukshi performs as a freelance whenever selective musicians ask for his expertise. Over a cup of coffee, it was good to meet her and have her precious advice on many musical reflections.

Question: I’m curious, where did it all start for you, this keen interest in music and playing the piano with such expertise?

From an early age, I developed a keen interest in the piano. We had a piano at home and I used to play one-note melodic lines, after which I could play with both hands to ear. I was fortunate to have a father who played the piano and our home was filled with music. Unfortunately, I did not receive classical music lessons because my sister had a piano teacher who would hit her on the fingers if a bad note was played and my father interrupted all piano lessons. As a Supreme Court judge, his decisions were always final.

He will be remembered by the older generation as DQM Sirimane, who after his retirement also served as Lake House’s legal director.

Question: They say that the main job of a pianist is to play single note chords in the right hand while tightening the chords with the left hand. We’ve come a long way since that conclusion, haven’t we?

While partially agreeing, my personal view is that each piece should be enjoyed differently and the old standard cannot be strictly adhered to all the time. In the context, some are of the opinion that the standards are not suitable to be played in jazz mode.

I know that Chucho Valvez in a live performance at Village Vanguard, released later on record, turned “My Funny Valentine” into a searing bossa nova. Your view?

Any musician has the right to interpret and play any song in the way he wishes. There are no hard and fast rules – jazz is all about improvisation and a discerning listener will appreciate this musician’s work. Jazz has evolved through the ages. There was dixie, mainstream, swing, modern, funk and fusion and it is the only music that enshrines the concept of freedom of expression for humanity.

Question: As a musician, are you worried about the next gig you have to play?

I have no anxiety or worry about playing anywhere, anytime because I know I am equipped enough to meet the demands of any event.

You have performed with top musicians here in Sri Lanka. How are you feeling and what else could you wish for. Is there something else you’d like to do next, something you’ve always wanted to do but never got to do?

I gratefully acknowledge the experience I have gained from playing with renowned musicians. In the future, I would like to play with a larger group of musicians almost reproducing the sounds of big bands. I have performed in India, Macau, Maldives with Sri Lankans and it was heartwarming to see that the international audience appreciates if the product is good. Playing in a group is team spirit and teamwork that requires discipline and cooperation from members, while showcasing the strength of each musician in an appropriate way.

Question: When and how did jazz enter your experience?

“Very young, I worked as a succession advertiser at SLBC. Here I was exposed to all types of music. Having compiled several programs for broadcast, the job of listening has played a very important role in my musical preferences. I developed a keen interest in jazz influenced to a large extent by Tommy Perera’s weekly jazz show Down Beat on SLBC.

I have experienced Motown, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Disco, Rap but the kind of music I love the most is jazz.

Chick Corea once said “Music can bring us together”. And the general opinion is that music is a form of social activism – provides values ​​to society to end violence, helps people focus and relate to others from different cultures. Your comment?

Music is therapeutic and many studies have shown it to be an effective treatment for a variety of conditions. All forms of music throughout the ages have tried to propagate the messages of non-violence, peace and harmony between men, as witnessed by Woodstock, songs by Bob Marley, Joe Cocker and even some rock bands. I agree with Chick Corea’s comment. Music is a universal language and brings people together. In my experience, every musician is unique and has something to offer that enhances all types of music.

PORT ANGELES – Chase Bronkar Lee and Aaron Williams for an interview on what they call Collision of Rhythm, and they don’t play like other artists. They’re on tour, so they don’t have time for a phone conversation. A long email answering a journalist’s questions also doesn’t work.

No, as the duo head to Port Angeles for their Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts concert this Sunday, Williams and Lee opted to tape a five-minute conversation and send it to the Peninsula Daily News.

You see, Collision of Rhythm is “multiple instruments – and using them in a fun way to interact with each other on stage and with the audience,” Williams begins.

“We involve the audience to create an engaging experience for them,” adds Lee.

Drums, piano, clapping and clapping, saxophone, flute, woodwinds – Williams has promised these and more will flow freely. The wait has been long for Collision of Rhythm, whose 2020 shows had to be canceled amid the first waves of the pandemic.

Finally, the duo – who call themselves musical soul brothers – are on their way to Port Angeles High School Performing Arts Center, 304 E. Park Ave., for their show at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets, available at JFFA.org, range from $ 10 for youth 14 and under to $ 20, $ 30 and $ 40 for reserved spaces in various sections. Tickets will be $ 5 more at the door.

Upon entering the Performing Arts Center, clients 12 years of age and older must present proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within the past 72 hours as well as photo ID government issued. Children under 12 will be asked about symptoms of COVID and their temperature will be checked, said Kyle LeMaire, executive director of JFFA. All spectators over 2 years old must wear masks inside the performing arts center, he added. These security protocols are detailed on the JFFA website while more information is available by calling the foundation office at 360-457-5411.

In addition to touring the Collision of Rhythm show, the duo gained considerable fame on the Internet. Their viral videos include Williams’ “Mario on Marimba,” which has over 100 million views, and Lee’s “Beatbox Dad,” the music video of him beatboxing with his son. It has exceeded 200 million views.

As for the live concert, in person, “it’s kid-friendly and kid-friendly, but it’s not a ‘kid’ show,” Lee said. “We play such a wide variety of instruments and such a wide variety of styles, from jazz to funk to classical. We always pay tribute and salute the original composers… and multigenerational people attend our concerts.

Whatever your age, Lee and Williams want to help you adjust to your natural rhythm.

“We have a young, cheerful energy,” said Lee, “and we actually have chops,” all in the service of either exposing the young to the wonders of rhythm and melody or reminding the elderly of their inner rhythm.

“No matter where you come from,” he said, this music is meant to help you access the real beat – and “apply it in your everyday life”.

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Jefferson County Senior Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3509 or [email protected] news.com.

Monomas, an upcoming rhythmic puzzle platformer for Nintendo Switch, has been announced to launch on the platform on October 21, in just two weeks. Players will take part in a big music competition between the world’s best animal DJs armed with a fishing rod and plug to help DJs catch all the Monomals and create their own music in the MonoMaker.

Players will be able to choose from their favorite animal DJ: Retro Rabbit, Funky Frog, Techno Tiger or Rocky Rhino. There are over 28 courses to go, as well as arena battles and plenty of opportunities to catch Monomals. There are apparently dozens of collectibles and bonuses available as well, so players will be able to create sick beats in the MonoMaker, which can be used to create their own music.

Players will be able to listen to their own created music as they play, and you will be able to switch between music genres and listen to different styles of your own music. You will also be able to compete in the Hot 99 offline leaderboard and go platinum, you can share your music online for others to download and participate in weekly online contests to see who really is the best musician.

Interestingly, the game has already been released for the Apple Arcade in 2019, but this Nintendo Switch version (which can be pre ordered for $ 16.99) now apparently has “incredible console-quality graphics” and is coming to a real game console, so it should be a better gaming experience overall. We’ll see.

If you want to play similar games while you wait Monomas to be released on the Nintendo Switch, there are Viola: the melody of the heroine, a musical platform game / JRPG, Vespers, a platform and puzzle game, and Grobo, a puzzle platform game with interesting gravity mechanics. For more information on Monomals ahead of launch, stay tuned to TechRaptor for more details.

Bana OK’s trumpeter will perform on September 24, 2021 at Club La Septante in the Casabbu district of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. REUTERS / Hereward Holland

October 6, 2021

By Hereward Holland

Kinshasa (Reuters) – Sitting on the stage of La Septente, an outdoor club in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Manda Chante sings the opening of the old African anti-colonial national anthem, Independence Cha An. Movement.

The song debuted one night in Brussels in February 1960, during negotiations for the liberation of the Congo from Belgium, and excited the delegation. In four months, the Congo was free.

Sixty-one years later, rumba remained the heart of African music, and there was a movement to solidify its reputation and ensure its protection.

The authorities of the neighboring capitals of the Republic of Congo, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, have submitted an offer to add Congolumba to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO will announce its decision in November.

This list will show the diversity of heritage and raise awareness of its importance. When Congolese rumba is added, it joins the food of Singapore hawkers, Finnish sauna culture, and the traditional UAE irrigation system, among the myriad of other customs on the list.

“Looking at modern rumba, we raised and developed it, but we continued to refer to icons like Le Grand Kallé,” “Independent Chacha” said to convince politicians. Menda said, referring to the stage name of Joseph Kabasele who wrote. Let go of these differences to ensure self-control.

Born in a 19th-century Cuban melting pot, Roomba combines enslaved African drums with the melody of Spanish settlers.

Re-exported to Africa in vinyl at the beginning of the 20th century, they quickly found an audience with two Congolese who recognized the rhythm as their own.

“They took our ancestors to America in the 15th or 16th centuries. The Congolese Rumba was created and anchored in the same dynamic as the history which constituted the country ”, declared Congolese. André Yoka, director of the National Institute of the Arts in Kinshasa, which heads the candidate for UNESCO status, said.

According to Congo’s submission to UNESCO, rumba is derived from the local language “umba”, which means navel, a dance originating in “the ancient kingdom of Kongo”.

Catherine Katung Hulaha, Minister of Arts and Culture of Congo, said:

“We want Roomba to be recognized as ours. It is our identity. “

(Additional report by Jessica Aga Salo, edited by Allison Williams)