Abbreviation | TaSUBa |
---|---|
Predecessor | Bagamoyo College of Arts |
Formation | 2007 |
Type | Governmental organisation |
Headquarters | Bagamoyo |
Region served | Tanzania |
Official languages | English and Kiswahili |
Principal | Dr. Herbert Francis Makoye |
Parent organization | Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports |
Website | Institute website |
The Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute (Taasisi ya Sanaa na Utamaduni Bagamoyo, TaSUBa) is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, for training, research and consultancy services in visual and performing arts and culture. The institute organizes the yearly International Festival of Arts and Culture in Bagamoyo and has been known internationally for its performing arts ensemble The Bagamoyo Players since 1990.
TaSUBa was established by The United Republic of Tanzania in accordance with the Executive Agencies Act No. 30 of 1997 and Government Notice No. 220 of November 2007. The institute replaced the former Bagamoyo College of Arts, established in 1981, in order to better correspond to the changing role of performing arts of Tanzania. [1] Its aims and mission are to "encourage the development of Tanzanian arts and culture, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and the moving image generally, and their impact on society." [2]
According to the book Art in Eastern Africa, "students from different parts of Tanzania and abroad meet and receive training in various fields and genres of arts. Here the youth study fine arts, modeling, sculpture, braiding, traditional and modern music, modern dances and traditional dances from the tribes of Tanzania. They also learn stage arts and techniques, costumes and fashion design." [3] The institute offers both certificate and diploma courses in various specialisations. [4]
The Bagamoyo Players, composed of experienced members of the institute, are a performing arts ensemble, created in 1990. This group consists of artists who present traditional and modern dance, music, drama, acrobatics and comedy performances at festivals and other events both in Tanzania and abroad. [5] In 1992, the Bagamoyo Players were one of three African groups to accompany the Brazilian songwriter Milton Nascimento on the world music project One World One Voice , where Peter Gabriel and Sting were also involved. [6] Prominent former artists and teachers of the institute were musician Hukwe Zawose, as well as actors and dancers John Mponda and Nkwabi Ng'hangasamala, [7] the father of popular Tanzanian singer Nshoma. [8]
Furthermore, the institute organizes the yearly International Festival of Arts and Culture, which gives opportunity for performances for diverse audiences, for example schoolchildren, and promotes live interactions with other African or international artists. [9]
Dar es Salaam is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over nine million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the sixth-largest in Africa. Located on the Swahili coast, Dar es Salaam is an important economic center and one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. According to the 2022 national census, Tanzania has a population of around 62 million, making it the most populous country located entirely south of the equator.
As it is in other countries, the music in Tanzania is constantly undergoing changes, and varies by location, people, settings and occasion. The five music genres in Tanzania, as defined by BASATA are, ngoma, dansi, kwaya, and taarab, with bongo flava being added in 2001. Singeli has since the mid-2000s been an unofficial music of uswahilini for unplanned communities in Dar es Salaam, and is the newest mainstream genre since 2020.
Joseph Mbilinyi, known for his stage names Mr. II, Sugu and 2-proud, is a Tanzanian politician, human rights activist and rapper. He was a Mbeya Urban elected member of Parliament from 2010 to 2020.
Moshi is a municipality and the capital of Kilimanjaro region in the Northeastern Tanzania. As of 2017, the municipality has an estimated population of 201,150 and a population density of 3,409 persons per km2. In the last official census of 2022, the municipality had a population of 221,733. The municipality is situated on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano that is the highest mountain in Africa. The name Moshi has been reported to refer to the smoke that emanates from the nearby mountain. The municipality covers about 59 square kilometres (23 sq mi) and is the smallest municipality in Tanzania by area.
Bagamoyo is a historic coastal town and capital of Bagamoyo District in the Pwani Region of Tanzania. Much of the settlement was founded at the end of the 18th century, though it is an extension of a much older Swahili settlement, Kaole. It was chosen as the capital of German East Africa by the German colonial administration and it became one of the most important trading ports for the Germans along the East African coast along the west of the Indian Ocean in the late 19th and early 20th century. Bagamoyo lies 75 kilometres north of Dar-es-Salaam on the coast of the Zanzibar Channel, across from the island of Zanzibar. The town hosts Bagamoyo Historic Town, that is a National Historic Site of Tanzania. In 2011, the town had 82,578 inhabitants.
Following Tanganyika's independence (1961) and unification with Zanzibar (1964), leading to the formation of the state of Tanzania, President Julius Nyerere emphasised a need to construct a national identity for the citizens of the new country. To achieve this, Nyerere provided what has been regarded by some commentators as one of the most successful cases of ethnic repression and identity transformation in Africa.
Muziki wa dansi, or simply dansi, is a Tanzanian music genre, derivative of Congolese soukous and Congolese rumba. It is sometimes called Swahili jazz because most dansi lyrics are in Swahili, and "jazz" is an umbrella term used in Central and Eastern Africa to refer to soukous, highlife, and other dance music and big band genres. Muziki wa dansi can also be referred to as Tanzanian rumba, as "african rumba" is another name for soukous.
Edwin Semzaba was a Tanzanian novelist, playwright, actor and director. He wrote his works mainly in Swahili. He taught in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he taught, among other courses, creative writing and acting. He won the first award of East African Writers awarded by the Institute of Swahili Research for his novel Funke Bugebuge and the "grandchildren's adventure book writing competition" awarded by the Swedish Embassy in Tanzania (2007).
The World Festival of Black Arts, also known as FESMAN or FMAN, has been a series of month-long culture and arts festival taking place in various parts of Africa. The festival features participants of cultural expression – arts, literature, music, cinema - from around the African Diaspora.
Nyumba ya Sanaa, also known as the Mwalimu Nyerere Cultural Centre or Julius Nyerere Cultural Centre, was a cultural centre, art workshop and art gallery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was established in 1972 to promote local modern art and craftsmanship. Situated in a privileged location, it was replaced in 2010 by a tower building with residential and commercial facilities.
Penina Muhando, also known as Penina Mlama, is a Tanzanian Kiswahili playwright, a theorist and practitioner of Theatre for Development in Tanzania.
Jhikoman also known as Jhiko Manyika, is a Tanzanian reggae artist. He has served as an active musician since 1994 and toured extensively in both Europe and Africa. He combines acoustic reggae with African music. Jhikoman sings in English, Swahili, and mother tongue Kinyasa.
The Bagamoyo Port or Port of Bagamoyo is one of the oldest ports in Tanzania. The port is located in the town of Bagamoyo in Bagamoyo District of Pwani Region. The port was once a main entry from the Zanzibar Channel to Bagamoyo Historic Town before the establishment and rise of the Port of Dar es Salaam in the 1860s. Reconstruction and mass expansion of the Port of Bagamoyo is set to be constructed in the mid 2020s. It is planned to be one of the largest government infrastructure projects in the country. The Bagamoyo port and its affiliate industrial zone is meant to address congestion at the old port and support Tanzania to become East Africa’s leading shipping and logistics centre.
Elizabeth Michael(Lulu) (born April 16, 1995) is a Tanzanian actress.
Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa is the national council founded in 1984 by government legislation to serve as a facilitator and promoter of Tanzanian arts, music and theatre arts. BASATA is an official parastatal organization established under the National Arts Council Act No. 23 of 1984. It is a government agency for the revival, promotion and development of the arts in Tanzania.
Tanzania's film industry, also known as Swahiliwood or Bongo movie and Bongowood, was established around 2001.
Ngoma(also ng'oma or ing'oma) is a Bantu term with many connotations that encompasses music, dance, and instruments. In Tanzania ngoma also refers to events, both significant life-changing events such as the first menstruation, the birth or passing of a loved one, as well as momentary events such as celebrations, rituals, or competitions. Ngoma was the primary form of culture throughout the Great Lakes and Southern Africa. Today it is most notable genre in Tanzania, where it is deemed an official music genre by the National Arts Council (BASATA - Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa). In Tanzania, it is experienced throughout the country, performed, taught, and studied in many schools and universities. The most notable school for ngoma is the Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute, which produces the most prominent chairmen (directors/conductors) and dancers.
The Hip-Hop Asili Festival (HAF) is an annual celebration of Hip-Hop music and culture in Tanzania. It is produced by local artists and supported by French Embassy in Tanzania.
Mkuwe Isale, professionally known as Mamy Baby, is a Tanzanian radio presenter and media personality.