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Bagamoyo musicians thrill at the beat

Friday May 20 2016
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Left, Isack Abeneko on guitar; and right, reggae musician Jhikoman at the Papparazi Bistro Club. PHOTOS | CAROLINE ULIWA

Seeing musicians Vitali Maembe and Jhikoman perform in Dar es Salaam is rare. The Bagamoyo-based musicians have carved a name for themselves in different genres, with Jhikoman being a reggae music star and Vitali (as he is commonly known) the king of conscious Afro-Country music accompanied by his haunting acoustic guitar.

The two recently headlined the Beat Festival at Paparazzi Club in Slipway, Dar es Salaam. Also in the lineup was Isack Abeneko, the contemporary dancer who recently caused a buzz on the music scene with his debut single Mama Chambewa.

Vitali Maembe took the stage in a solo performance, with his guitar and was obviously comfortable in his skin. He mesmerised the crowd with the strumming of his guitar.

Vitali’s music has strong activist messages. He reminds one of Nina Simone and her slew of songs during the Civil Rights movements in the USA. His music, like Simone's, hardly gets played on radio in Tanzania. He has been arrested a couple of times for what the authorities have dubbed controversial music.

At the Beat Festival we got a taste of that music, which highlights the plight of the poor in the country. The famous song Teja speaks of street drug addicts who suffer the consequences of a trade that benefits the rich and powerful people who bankroll the smuggling of drugs into the country.

There is no doubt that Vitali is a skilled musician and his guitar rhythms are distinctly East African. He has cultivated the local ngoma style but at the same time his voice has a country music lilt. He is a delight to listen to.

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The other star of the festival was Isack Abeneko, accompanied by a team of experienced musicians including Twaba Mohammed on the Djembe and Emmanuel Mopao on the lead guitar. His music was upbeat and it got the crowd dancing. He has great stage energy and although he still cultivating his sound, it can be generally classified as afro-rock.

When Jhikoman finally took to the stage, his soothing reggae vibes got everyone moving. Particularly the song Kuagana was the crowd’s favourite with its nostalgic roots vibe enhanced by the trumpet. It was a typical reggae roots sound that had the crowd jumping around.

The downside to the Beat Festival was that the space at the Paparazzi is small and the acoustics aren't great.

The Beat is a once a month festival showcasing live music from Tanzanian musicians, based home and abroad. It is supported by Caravan Records, Paparazzi Bistro Club, Jameson and Goethe Institut Tanzania.

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