Kidogo, Kidogo
The last time I checked in, I was reeling from an anxious first few days in Dar es Salaam. I didn't really know what I was doing, and every social interaction left me exhausted. As of right now, I still don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm considerably more comfortable making my way around Dar es Salaam. I've been spending the last few days helping Frank Gunderson (an ethnomusicologist at FSU, my old thesis advisor Damascus' thesis advisor, and general badass) shoot a film of his focusing on Hassan Bitchuka of DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra. Going to these concerts, talking to some of the bandmembers, and chatting with Frank during these excursions has clarified my own work, left me with a list a mile long of things to do, and helped me feel better about what I'm actually doing here.
My week started out normally - Monday and Tuesday I had dinners with Mohammed, excursions around the city, and a trip into Kariakoo market for CD shopping. In Kariakoo I found two muziki wa dansi CDs and was extremely happy that I could purchase them for only 5,000Tsh each!
Albums from Mlimani Park Orchestra and Msondo Ngoma Jazz Band!!
Wednesday I met up with Frank Gunderson, who really by chance was staying in the same hotel as me. Frank, his friend Ndokeji, and myself got delicious Indian food for dinner and drinks at the Peacock Hotel, which made for a fantastic night. It was really nice to use Frank as a sounding board for my ideas about my work when I'm here as well as this coming year. The world of popular music in Tanzania is a vast and interesting one, and I would love to discuss such topics as the controversy behind Diamond's song "Zilipendwa" (two potential copyright issues!), the lesser known genre of mchiriku (google search - Jagwa Music - if you want to know what I'm talking about), and the scene of bongo flava musicians who aren't successful, and are playing local shows. Once my Swahili is up to snuff, I'm excited to dive into these.
The next day, since I was told that my driver Mohammed is definitely ripping me off (a tip which I later confirmed), I took the bus to Ubungo, walked to Mlimani Park City, meandered around Mwenge, and made this video of the station on the way home. DART buses during rush hour are ridiculously crowded, by the way.
My work here has taken a bit of a detour from my initial goals, but in that detour, clarity has emerged. For the last week I have been helping Frank Gunderson with a movie about Mlimani Park Orchestra, a muziki wa dansi group that's going on it's 40th year in existence. Frank's work required me to go to gigs, meet the band members, and film their shows, with a specific focus on their lead singer, Hassan Bitchuka. While the days of muziki wa dansi are far in the past (those days ended once Tanzania wasn't a socialist country), people still come out to their shows and love their music. Their shows get wild - they play until the early hours of the night and attract audience members from all ages. Here are a few shots of the concerts I took with my gopro:
Frank and Jamwaka in discussion
Helping Frank in this endeavor has also given me access to musicians who have been in the world of Tanzanian music for decades, and their perspectives help me tremendously. In addition to my interest in Diamond Platnumz as a discussion of post-socialist attitudes in music in Tanzania, I've also found contacts to help me search for Mchikiru, a form of dance music originating in the 1990's featuring fast drumming, loud singing, and a casio keyboard hooked up to a very large amplifier. I find that my time here is creating more and more threads that after my master's paper I can begin to follow and explore, and I am happy that I am not simply just limiting my research and experiences to just the things directly pertinent to my forthcoming paper.
A Picture of the Dar Skyline from my hotel rooftop
I'm writing this after a short vacation to Zanzibar (Zanzibar pictures and such forthcoming!), and I've never felt more confident in my abilities as both a speaker of Swahili and an ethnographer. I am going to try and make the most of the next 10 days before I'm off to Mombasa, but already, this trip has vastly exceeded my expectations. I already am planning what I'm doing next academic year, as well as next summer, which would hopefully include an intensive Swahili course in the states. Little by little, I think I'm figuring out how to do this. Kidogo, Kidogo.
