Culture Musical Club

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Culture Musical Club
Origin Zanzibar, Tanzania
Genres Taarab
Years active1958 (1958)–present
Labels Virgin Records, Independent
Spinoffs Kidumbak groups

Culture Musical Club is an East African musical band based in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Regarded as one of the island's oldest and well-known musical ensembles, it has been known both for preserving and innovating Swahili coastal musical traditions since its founding in 1958.

Contents

With albums on international labels and invitations to world music festivals, the group has toured across Europe, North America, Japan and beyond.

History and career

Culture Musical Club originated in 1958 as part of the youth wing of the Afro‑Shirazi Party during Zanzibar’s independence movement. From its early days, the ensemble developed a distinct local taarab style, regularly composing and performing new works, along with traditional ones. Although primarily based in Zanzibar Town, the group also has toured rural regions, bringing their music to remote audiences by using a portable stage and generator. [1] Rehearsals and performances at their clubhouse in the Vuga neighborhood of Stone Town have become tourist attractions. [2] [3]

Musical styles

Culture Musical Club, which is the largest taarab club with up to 45 musicians, blends traditional and contemporary elements of taarab with drum-based kidumbaki rhythms: [4] The larger setup usually consists of three violins, qanun , oud , two accordions, double bass, dumbak , bongos, rika , male or female lead singers, and a female chorus. [2] The smaller kidumbaki groups, made up by some of the musicians, feature a slimmer lineup of violins, sanduku (tea‑chest bass), two kidumbaki drums, cherewa (maracas) and mkwasa (claves), a female chorus and dancers, creating upbeat, percussive music usually heard at weddings and celebrations. [2]

Collaborations

In 1988 Culture Musical Club began releasing albums on international labels. The band has performed in major national and international engagements: In Zanzibar, they have performed with veteran singer Bi Kidude at the annual Sauti za Busara festival. [4] Abroad, they have been invited to world music festivals, including Womad (UK), Heimatklänge (Germany), Musiques Métisses (France), Sfinks (Belgium), and the Chicago World Music Festival. [5] Further, they have collaborated with American blues musician Taj Mahal on the album Mkutano Meets the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar , blending taarab with blues motifs. [6]

Reception

Reviews of their concerts have appeared in The New York Times, [7] [8] The Guardian [4] and The Mail & Guardian. [9] The BBC published a podcast about music from Zanzibar, featuring Culture Musical Club and Bi Kidude. [10]

Selected discography

See also

References

  1. ↑ "African Music Library | Band Profile: Culture Musical Club". africanmusiclibrary.org. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Culture Musical Club". Music In Africa. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  3. ↑ Romero, Angel (27 May 2017). "Artist Profiles: Culture Musical Club | World Music Central". worldmusiccentral.org. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Denselow, Robin (5 January 2007). "Sultans of swing". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Culture Musical Club - WOMEX". www.womex.com. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  6. ↑ Denselow, Robin (11 February 2005). "Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar: Mkutano". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Pareles, Jon (2 October 2006). "Riches Borne by the Musical Trade Winds". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon (30 September 2006). "Some East African Flavor at Makor". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Rocking the Swahili coast". The Mail & Guardian. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  10. ↑ "World Routes - Zanzibar 2005 - Culture Musical Club and Bi Kidude - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  11. ↑ Martin, Stephen H. (1990). "Review of Taarab: The Music of Zanzibar, Vol 4: Culture Musical Club" . Ethnomusicology. 34 (3): 498–500. doi:10.2307/851646. ISSN   0014-1836. JSTOR   851646.
  12. ↑ Romero, Angel (23 November 2009). "Preserving the Essence of Zanzibar | World Music Central". worldmusiccentral.org. Retrieved 11 July 2025.

Further reading

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