As in other countries, the musical production in Tanzania is constantly undergoing changes. Music listened to by Tanzanians today stretches from traditional African music or the string-based taarab to a distinctive hip hop known as bongo flava.
The music of Kenya is very diverse, with multiple types of folk music based on the variety over 50 regional languages.
Joseph Mbilinyi, known for his stage names Mr. II, Sugu and 2-proud, is a Tanzanian politician, human rights activist and rapper. He was also elected to the Tanzanian Parliament in 2010 and then 2015 to 2020.
Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian music. The genre developed in the 1990s, mainly as a derivative of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian styles such as taarab and dansi, with additional influences from reggae, R&B, and afrobeats, to form a unique style of music. Lyrics are usually in Swahili or English, although increasingly there has been limited use of words from Nigerian languages due to the influence of afrobeats.
Tanzanian Hip-hop, which is sometimes called Bongo Flava by many outside of Tanzania's hip hop community, encompasses a large variety of different sounds, but it is particularly known for heavy synth riffs and an incorporation of Tanzanian pop. There is some debate over whether Bongo Flava, which has emerged as a defined pop movement, can really still be qualified under the overarching term "hip hop" and not a movement unto itself, when it is beginning to develop a distinctive sound that differs from hardcore rap or, for example, the Maasai Hip hop of X Plastaz, who use the tradition of the Maasai tribe as the focal point for their sound and style. Tanzanian hip hop influenced the sound of the Bongo Flava genre. While Tanzanian hip hop retains many of the elements found in hip hop globally in terms of sound and lyricism, Bongo flava, derived from the Swahili word "ubongo", incorporates hip hop, Indian filmi, taraab, muzik wa dansi, and dancehall beats. It all began in the 1980s when Tanzanian teenagers were really interested in the American hip hop scene. At first, they took American beats and rapped to them. As the youth rapped, the hip hop in Tanzania began to develop into a mix of traditional and localized hip hop scene. As a result, it began a wave of interest from other people in Eastern Africa.
X Plastaz is a Tanzanian hip hop musical group based in Arusha and founded in 1996. They are one of the most popular acts in the Tanzanian hip hop scene. Their style mixes elements from international hip hop and traditional Maasai music, represented by Maasai singer Merege. While Merege sings in maa, the other members of the group rap in swahili and haya. Merege is also well known to perform in traditional Maasai clothings.
Juma Nature a.k.a. Sir Nature is a Tanzanian hip hop recording artist and record producer. He is the founder and member of a Temeke group called Wanaume, an informal group of rappers from the poor side of Dar es Salaam. In his last album, "Bongo Flava: Swahili Rap from Tanzania", many of the lyrics which are in his tracks include current problems within his country. Some problems he raps about include, "HIV/AIDS, the difficulty of meeting basic needs, class and wealth barriers, and holding your head high despite everything". One of Nature's well renowned songs is "Umoja wa Tanzania" which talks about a celebration within Tanzania and the sense of unity that it has exemplified. “Utajijua” from Juma Nature's brand new album Ubin-Adam Kazi, is a song about people who like to poke their noses into others’ business.
Kenyan hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers various forms and sub genres of hip-hop and rap originating from Kenya. It is commonly a combination of Swahili and English as well as Sheng and a variety of tribal languages.
Gidi Gidi Maji Maji is a Kenyan hip hop duo from Nairobi. Its two members are Maji Maji and Gidi Gidi. Their lyrics are mostly in Luo language, with some English and Swahili. Unlike most local hip hop artists, GidiGidi MajiMaji do willingly mix African rhythms with their music. According to popular entertainment guide Ghafla, their music is a "fusion of hip hop/rap and African music [which] they mostly sing and rap in their native language called Luo."
Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hop and hip hop in the mid 1990s. Mobb Deep became one of the most successful rap duos in history, having sold over three million records. Three of their most notable albums were The Infamous (1995), Hell on Earth (1996) and Murda Muzik (1999), and their top hits include "Shook Ones ", "Survival of the Fittest" and "Hell On Earth ". They were known for their dark and hardcore delivery.
Genge music, or genge, is a genre of hip hop music with additional influences from dancehall music that had its beginnings in Nairobi, Kenya. The name was coined by the producer Clemo and popularized by Kenyan rappers Jua Cali and Nonini who started off at Calif Records, and is commonly sung in Sheng, Swahili or local dialects. The term genge is a sheng word for "a group or a mass of people".
Joseph Haule, popularly known by his stage name Professor Jay, is a Tanzanian rapper, songwriter, politician and former member of the Tanzanian parliament for Mikumi constituency. He is one of the prominent representatives of the "Bongo Flava" Tanzanian hip hop subgenre, which mixes elements from both Western hip hop and the Tanzanian tradition . Prof Jay is currently undergoing treatment at the Muhimbili Hospital where specialist doctors and nurses are doing whatever they can to remedy his medical condition according to Milard Ayo of Clouds FM Tanzania. Prof Jay's wife on 9th Feb 2022 called upon Tanzanians of goodwill to help them raise money to offset cumulative medical bills.
Hubert Mbuku Nakitare, commonly known by his stage name Nonini, is a Kenyan hip hop recording artiste, entertainer, radio presenter, businessman and philanthropist. He is often referred to as the Godfather because he is very well known.
Necessary Noize was a Kenyan hip hop group.
Dully Sykes is a Tanzanian musician who sings majorly in the bongo flava genre.
Boomba music, also referred to as kapuka, is a form of hip pop music popular in Kenya. It incorporates hip hop, reggae and African traditional musical styles. The lyrics are in Swahili, Sheng or local dialects. It is associated with the Ogopa Deejays and is believed to have originated in the late 1990s with artists such as Redsan, Bebe Cool and Chameleone. It went on to dominate East African airwaves after the release of the Ogopa Deejays' first album in 2001, which included artists such as the late E-Sir, Nameless, Mr. Lenny, Amani, Mr. Googz and Vinnie Banton amongst others.
Paul Julius Nunda, better known by his stage name Jua Cali, is a Kenyan hip hop artist. In 2000, together with record producer Clemo, he founded Calif Records where he has been ever since. Jua Cali performs in Swahili and Sheng in a popular Kenyan style of rapping called genge.
Espen Sørensen, known professionally as Mzungu Kichaa, is a Danish singer and musician. He was born in Denmark, but grew up in Tanzania, where his parents worked in the field of Development Cooperation. They went there when he was six years old. In Tanzania, he learned to speak Swahili fluently, and later on, he got involved in music and particularly in the production of Bongo Flava at Bongo Records. The latest outcome of his interest in East African music is his first solo album "Tuko Pamoja".
Emmanuel Mkono, known by his stage name Nahreel, is a Tanzanian Afro beats / Dancehall recording artist and record producer. He is the founder and current CEO of The Industry Studios. Nahreel is a co-founder and member of the music group Navy Kenzo. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers and singers, including Vanessa Mdee, Joh Makini, Diamond Platnumz, Nikki wa pili, Navy Kenzo, Izzo Biznes, Gnako, K.O, Roma Shrekeezy., He is credited as a key figure in the popularization of English rap in Tanzania.
Angel Nyigu is a Tanzanian dancer and choreographer. She has extensively worked with recording artist Diamond Platnumz appearing in his music videos and is the founder of Tanzania Dance. Her dance routines mainly consist of Afro dance, Hip hop and Dancehall.
