| Sanaa Sanaa Traditional Tanzanian Band |
 |
 |
 |
|
Sanaa Sana (More Art, in English) is the brand new project released from the Art in Tanzania music studio, Mzuka Records.
Listen our lates songs Mshikemshike - Sanaa Sana and World Cup - Toto featuring Sanaa Sana. Sanaa Sanaa Traditional Live!
The group was created in early 2009 and at the time consisted of 7 talented members performing African drums and dancing. The group has been well received gaining applause from international crowds who delighted in their
Sanaa Sana is now an astonishing fusion of members coming from well respected bands with fans all over East Africa. This impressive list of groups includes Akudo Impact, Diamond Sound, Diamond Muzika, Zemkala, Sisi Tambala, Simba Theatre Group and many others.
This union of professional artists, in varied styles, creates an original and unexpected ensemble!The words imitation and copy are not found in the Sanaa Sana vocabulary! They succeed in creating their own kind of music.
Sanaa Sana invites you to a breathtaking journey to the rich musical culture in the heart of Africa. They put you under their spell with their fresh voices and bewitching melodies, you feel yourself starting to move and before you know it you are dancing to the rhythm of their tumbas.
The essence of Sanaa Sana lies in a seamless mix of traditional Ngoma and modern African music. Each song will take you are a journey with its unique Tanzanian and Congolese flavour. The group music is influenced by rumba,dombolo, Afro blues and Jazz with a traditional tribal undercurrent. Band members have developed their art through the music of artist such as Youssou Ndour, Papa Wemba, Brenda Fassi, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Bob Marley, Miriam Makeba, Angelique Kidjo and Selif Keita.
Sanaa Sana’s main passionis their stage performances. Live performances bring such rhythm and energy that you can’t help but be amazed by the bands cohesion, effortlessly marrying the skill and passion of all the individual members, as one of the members says “they all work as one, with a heart full of love.” This cohesion is aided by the fact that many of the musicians had previously collaborated and that they share musical aspirations. This electric live work has not gone unnoticed as they have received plaudits at both a national and international level.
Sanaa Sana is fronted by a group of highly successful and well recognised dancers. The dances are headed by the sensual and dynamic Yuster Nyakachara, winner of the best dancer award at the SADEC festival in 2001. Other dancers include Haventishi Baraza Lamaswa, Sijali Mohamed Ally and Mary Happygod Simoh. A number of these dancers have exceptional credentials performing with bands such as Sisi Tembala and Zemkala and performed all over the world as far afield as Algeria, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The percussionists Kilimatinde Selemani Mohammed, Henry Zachariah Kaboye and Haji Baraza Lamaswa are multi talented artists with experience in dance, music and theatre.
The leading musicians and singers in the band are some of its newest members, coming from the groups Akudo Impact and Da Muzika. Alain Mulumba is Sanaa Sana's lead singer and co- writer with French Kabangi Ngoy on the lead guitar. Cassim Safari Mumba is the group bassist and Amadi Raphael Chitalula the western drummer. Sanaa Sana's other singer is the famous and enigmatic Toto Zebingwa, winner of the best song award at the BBC Swahili Africa contest and presently in competition for the 2010 Tanzania Music Award.
The band was brought together by Yuster after seeing a number of the members perform live at festivals and shows.
Sanaa Sana is currently giving all of its energy rehearsing non-stop and recording their first album in the Mzuka Records premises. This studio being one of the projects of the Finnish-Tanzanian NGO Art in Tanzania that Yuster created with her husband Kari in 2001. Art in Tanzania runs many programs promoting culture, art and education. Its principle aim is to empower the local communities with knowledge a Mzuka Record helps with the discovery and the production of young Tanzanian artists but also dispenses music programs to schools. Mzuka Records is responsible for the birth of many popular artists such as the legendary rapper Dudu Baya and the member of Mambo Jambo Benjamin “Sixtus” Busungu famous all over East Africa and a close collaborator with Sanaa Sana.
Inspiration is found inJoy, love, Africa and simple daily life! Everyone is free to compose and each member gets inspiration from one another. This is the Sanaa Sana’s spirit! The band’s most pressing objective is to have the opportunity to show the public, the fruits of its work and to be able to share with them, their different vision of music! The band will continue to set the Tanzanian and international stages on fire with a breathtaking show which can continue until the early hours.
- The Dancers -
-Yuster Nyakachara-
Dancer, Choreographer and Founder of Sanaa Sana
-Yuster, A Master of Many Arts- Yuster is very curious, active and sporty. She is in to many things! She loves sports including football, grass hockey, handball, netball, volleyball and athletics. She also dabbles in theatre in her school acting squad. Ever since she was young she has loved a challenge! She attended many inter school competitions across Tanzania. She has also competed in Uganda in 1995. When the time came to think about her career she naturally turned herself to dance, which is a mix of her sport aptitude and her love of show! It was also clear from a young age that she had a real talent for rhythm. As a consequence, from 1996 onwards, she decided to focus on dancing. In 2000, she joined the group called “Sisi Tambala” which has enjoyed great success with traditional Ngoma music. They won the SADEC Dance festival in Johannesburg in 2000 but the road of success didn’t stop there! At the SADEC festival in Zimbabwe and she stole the show and proved that Tanzania has it place in the African musical scene! Out of the 30 groups presented in the festival, she won the “best dancer” award and was afterwards selected to represent Tanzania for the UNESCO sponsored common project “Southern Dancer and Drumming Project”. It gathered all the best dancers from all the 10 countries appearing in the competition and they went on a year long tour, performing in Swaziland, Namibia, South Africa to finally end up in Tanzania. - An Amazing Show Stealer -
In 2001, with her talent being heavily recognised Yuster was contacted to be one of the dancers of the famous singer Brenda Fassi! It was an incredible experience for Yuster who had the privilege to dance aside Brenda Fassi on the biggest stages of Dar Es Salaam including the Diamond Jubilee and Slipway. In 2003, after some confusion with the group, she decided to found her own group “Zemkala”. With Zemkala, in 2005, she performed at the Lafesta Festival in Kisumu in Kenya, a festival that gathers all the African groups which has been victorious in previous competitions. This festival showcases
the best of African music! T
nd their music and initially tried to kick them out. However, they kept the show and after ten minutes the crowd was taken over by the sound. When the show ended they were asking for more songs! It is a great memory for her because she succeeded to g ain the heart of the public and the joy of the band lifted the crowd to a higher ground. This is the power of dance and music! 2006 was a busy year for the band, they won the Music Crossroad Festival and were taken to Maputo in Mozambique. They then performed at the Chewa Festival in Malawi, it was followed by a festival in Zambia and Bagamoyo Art Festival. Their greatest opportunity came when they performed at the Mondial Festival in the Netherlands, the seventh biggest European festival. In the Netherlands they managed to express their art in ten different locations
The band was very well received and was even asked to appear at a Hip Hop festival which wanted them to make a demonstration of their traditional African music.
- A Very Big-Hearted Woman -
Yuster has always been a very generous woman and she feels very strongly about a number of issues. She started to get involved in programs in 1997 when she was involved with the AMREF (African Medical Research Foundation) as a Peer educator for young people and those affected by HIV. Until 2000, she led some HIV awareness campaigns in villages and helped take care of sick people.
Yuster has always wanted to be in a position where she can help the people of her own country. As a consequence, in 2001, she registered a charity in the name of Art In Tanzania. The aim of the charity is to help the people and communities of Tanzania. It took many years to develop the project from an idea to where it is now. They had to find volunteers, make the write-ups and look for the projects possibilities. They now have over 1500 volunteers a year that come from all over the world. The volunteers work in a number of fields such as education, development, music, journalism, architecture, HIV awareness and nursing. Yuster is also the loving mother of three kids, for who, from 2003 to 2008, she slowed down her artistic career in order to take care of them.
- Dance, but Above Everything: Creativity! -
Yuster doesn’t like to imitate or to copy what has already been done that’s why she turned her undoubted talent to choreography. For her, the whole point of dance resides in the creation.Her choreography is influenced by the many dance styles that she is familiar with, her trademark being a unique blend between the tribal and African dance but also Latin, thanks to her experience in tango. Her choreographies are adapted to the music, but they are also about expression.Her success is remarkable and she feels very honoured that she has been able to display her art to so many people in so many places.
- Sanaa Sana -
From 2003 to 2008 when she decided to slow down her career in music, her husband convinced her of the contrary. He pushed her to continue and to create her new band “Sanaa Sana” which is a part of the music program of Art in Tanzania. Her vision for Sanaa Sana came from the will to have an original and creative band that will have a new take on African music and that will bring the public something different. When she created the band in January 2009, it had 7 members. After their show in Finland, she realized that they should add more value to the band. After doing some music research, she came up with the idea of integrating foreigner musicians. She asked her good friend a Congolese musician himself whether he knew any one who would be interested in the project. This offer was taken up by many talented and respected musicians and the sound of Sanaa Sana was born.
- Mary Happygod Simoh -
- From nursing studies to dance -
As a child, Mary’s dream was to be an artist, although she didn’t have the confidence to think that she could succeed. That’s why, in 2001, after completing her primary school in Milmani, she opted for a nursing career. Unfortunately, she had to stop because her mother could not handle the school fees any more. This was the spark that Mary needed to push her into her true passion, dance. - The First Steps of an International Career - Despite her young age, Mary who's Sanaa Sana nickname is “The Mosquito” in reference to her very punchy personality, has already had the opportunity to perform in many shows overseas. First of all, her professional career started when she joined the band Dunia in 2002 which was rehearsing on government premises. As a consequence she had the opportunity to perform to many government events in front of national and international personalities! In 2004 she joined the Simba Theatre Group with who she had her first international In 2007, she took a career break in order to care for her newborn child. In 2007, she made a smashing stage comeback during the World Travel Market in London with the band Sisi Tembala. In 2009 she set the Finnish, Dutch and Ethiopian scenes on fire with Sanaa Sana. Including performances at the Ethno Sound Festival and Pop Jazz Festival in Koriamo and also in Tampere’s clubs. These experiences were the highlights of Marys performing life, indeed she never believed that she would have the opportunity to play abroad and to be well recei - Mary, Dance and Sanaa Sana - Mary is very passionate about all African dances from traditional to modern. Her favourite dance is the Dombolo which she finds suits her punchy personality.This young lady has a crush on the band Westlife but her more serious influences include Lady Jadee (a famous Tanzanian singer) and Yuster Nyakachara who has been a real source of inspiration to her and as well as being a good friend who has supported her in her artistic career. Despite her experience, before every show Mary still gets nervous. It was during rehearsal in Nyumba Ya Sanaa (The House of Art) that Mary first met Yuster. Since this moment they have become really good friends and Yuster asked her to join the Sisi Tembala group. Mary jumped at this opportunity, not only was the project really interesting her but the Simba group was travelling and she was stuck at home taking care of her sick mother. The Sanaa Sana project is very exciting for her and she has a lot of ambition concerning it. She knows that living as an artist requires talent and also patience, she is very happy to be progressing her career with Sanaa Sana.
- Havintishi Baraza Lamaswa - Dancer and Choir Singer - Her Entrance in the Musical Scene -
Despite coming from a musical family, Haventishi did not at first consider a career in the performing arts. Instead she had ambitions to enter the fashion world. Unfortunately she never managed to get the backing to follow this dream. In 2002, highly motivated by Yuster Nyakachara, one of her relatives, she started dancing. Even though her dancing career is very fulfilling and makes her family very proud, she wont stop dreaming of being a model. Dance has become a passion for her and her life is paced by it! As she says, “sometimes even when there is no music on, I am dancing”! She loves to dance to every kind of music, but her favourites are Zouk and Bolingo. She sites her influences as her parents and the band Africali. Currently, she is very inspired by Wa Hapahapa and by Yuster Nyakachara. Yuster has taught her a lot about the art of dance. She really enjoys working with her both as a friend and a teacher who is helping her reach higher levels. - The Itinerary of a Determined Woman -
Even if Havintsihi has got a strong character, she still gets nervous when she is around a lot of people. However, as soon as she is on stage in front of thousands of staring eyes, all her nervousness vanishes; she was born to perform. And likes nothing more than knowing that the audience has appreciated her work. Haventishi is very grateful that her career has given her the opportunity to travel the world seeing and experiencing new and exciting things, as well as learning more about her home continent. She will never forget when she went to Europe, because she never thought she would go there one day! Furthermore, the concert got a lot of success, which reinforces her idea that she is able to do great things in her life! She is aware about how hard it is to succeed in music, and particularly in Dar Es Salaam as she says that “here, nobody treats artists seriously, they are treated as crap even by their hosts. I really enjoy performing for embassies, ministries and abroad because we are treated at our just value”. - Her Hopes and Ambitions - She hopes that Sanaa Sana will be able to share its vision of music with the largest number of people possible. She really believes in Sanaa Sana and it has been like a miracle for her to be a part of the band. She believed that at the end of Zemkala her career was finished. That’s why she explains that when Yuster called her to join the group, she was so happy that “she didn’t sleep all the night long”.
Haventishi thinks a lot about her country and holds a lot of hope for it. She wishes that her fellow women try to do something for themselves instead of being housewives and staying at home waiting for their husband to take care of them. She also wishes her country would embrace more western culture. She wishes that artists would do more local and traditional music. Furthermore, as far as her fellow artists are concerned, she insists on unity. What she loves in Sanaa Sana is that all the members work as one. She would love all artists in the world to create a big family where everyone communicates, shares and has good relationships among themselves.
- Sijali Mohamed Ally - - An Original Career Choice -
After completing secondary school in 2001, she joined the band Ujamaa. Sijali is a thoughtful person who put employment safety first. Even if dance is her passion, she did not want to jump into it without a life net. That is the reason why when she was still in Ujamaa, she applied for the art section of the Salvation Army. It was a very secure opportunity for her, because within the Army she had the assurance to always have permanent work. Furthermore, being a part of the art section of the Salvation Army is a unique opportunity to perform for great occasions and in front of important personalities in Tanzania, but also overseas. With the Salvation Army s She also performed at the White House in Dar Es Salaam, for all the government occasions and in front of very important personalities. In 2004, the Salvation Army also brought her to Beijing and India, in New Delhi for the African Summit! This trip up to now constitutes her best artistic memory. Indeed, she was very proud to have been selected from over 100 candidates and to be a part of the team travelling. She never could have imagined passing the interview successfully and performing one day in Asia! Being in the Salvation Army was also a means for her to have the support of her family. Indeed, at the beginning, her parents who are not very touched by art, did not back her in her career choice. In her father’s opinion, who is very religious, being an artist is not real work and it is not well seen. He finally changed his mind when she integrated the Salvation Army, as it gives more of a prestigious image, as well as when he saw her perform.
- The Relationship of Sijali With Dance and Sanaa Sana - When she is on stage in front of a big audience, her fuel is the public energy! She takes it in and it transports her to higher ground every time. This fan of Brenda Fassie first met Yuster Nyakachara in 2008 when she was looking for members for the group she was founding, Sanaa Sana. Yuster saw her performing during the Old meet Modern festival and afterward asked her to join the band. This was a huge opportunity she could not reject. It was a great opportunity for her to dance African traditional style dance which she is fond of and to work within a band of passionate artists that have the strength and that give themselves 100% to succeed in their passion, as she says. One lesson she learnt through the years is that to succeed in this field it requires patience and work and that’s why she really believes in the band. She is currently giving it her all in rehearsal to be able to give her best to the public.
- The Musicians -
- Toto Zébingwa - Singer, Composer - A Childhood Paced by Dance - Since he was 2 years old, Toto has loved music. Toto is part of the category of self-taught artists who has talent in his blood. As a child, he enjoyed imitating Michael Jackson, who is one of his greatest From a young age his family picked up on his gift and helped towards being a professional musician. Toto is still very close with his family sending them pictures and videos from wherever he is performing. - From the Dream to the Success - “One day, I will be a musician”, those are the words of the 8-years-old Toto! And for Toto, words are the first step of actions. In 1998, a year after the death of his mother, Toto decided to go to Tanzania where one of his childhood friends had settled. The loss of his mother was hard for him to handle, and that was what pushed him to leave the Congo. At first he struggled, unable to find work for the first year. His determination and willingness were strong however, and he kept on rehearsing and being patient and it paid off. His perseverance and his talent brought him to Zimbabwean and Tanzanian scenes with the band Diamond Muzika. In 2007 a star was born. Toto Zébingwa won the award of the best song in the BBC Swahili Africa contest. I Success didn’t end there, indeed, as he was recently nominated for the 2010 Tanzania Music Award contest! Toto’s name is now very famous in East Africa, as well as his band: Akudo Impact. They are making Swahili rumba very popular in Tanzania, and they are invited many times a week to perform in clubs or events. After twelve years on the stage it has become a second home for him. He believes that the hard work, trials and tribulations that he went through at the start have helped him develop into a world class music star.
Toto finds it hard to put into words how he feels. While he is performing he says the emotions are extraordinary. Toto likes to play with music, and try everything. That’s how he can switch from zouk (as “Sino Neno Linginé”) to Kotoka. He likes to vary styles, as he says “Even if you like it, you can’t eat fish everyday otherwise you get fed up with it. For music it is the same thing”. From Senegalese music to Congolese and South African music, his inspirations are varied too. He has been very influenced by artists such as Selif Keita, Angélique Kidjo, Youssou Ndour and Miriam Makeba. Love, life, nature and Africa are also deep sources of inspiration to him. - What He Thinks About Sanaa Sana - In October 2009 Toto met Yuster Nyakachara for the first time. Yuster had seen Toto perform and instantly wanted to collaborate with him. After seeing Sanaa Sana rehearsal Toto accepted the proposition. Toto now really enjoys working with all Sanaa Sana members as the team is very united and has the same aspirations and shares the same vision. With Toto on board the band now has the vision to export African music to the wider world. For him, the beginnings with the band are really promising and it gives him motivation and strength. From his experience, he knows that being patient and devoted is the key of success!
- French Kabangi Ngoy - Lead Guitar, Composer, Singer and Artistic Director His motto: “Music doesn’t have to be left in the hands of hazard!” - The One That People Call “Music” -
- His Relatives at the Origin of His Artistic Career - Indeed, French despite his early passion for music, would have never thought he will be able to succeed in a musical career path. Thanks to his brother, himself a professional musician, and to his friends’ encouragement and positive criticism he took confidence and decided to jump into a musical career. However, it was a decision that he made very thoughtfully. Indeed, one day his mother who was worried about her son’s wish to live as a musician asked him this question “Is music really what you want to do for your living? Take time to carefully think about it and then when you will give me the answer I will be sure that you have taken the right decision”. When he gave her his answer, backed up by his brothers who had seen him perform on stage with “Brio” his first group, she understood that her son was born to make music! According to his life, it was actually in the nature of things that French chose this professional field. Indeed, his family is very musically-oriented and there are a lot of musical instrument at his parent’s home. When he was a child, every time an instrument was left unused, he jumped on it and started to play! The turning point was when a friend paid him to play. At that moment, he realized that it was possible for him to earn his living with his passion! It was all the more important to him since his father died around the same time, leaving him to finance his studies by himself. He tried to - From the First Group in Likasi to East-African Recognition - In 1989, he founded with friends the band “Traction de Bogosse” (“Cuteguy Traction” in English). If you ask French why they chose this name the answer will naturally be “Well, because we were cute guys! Besides, we wanted to tow our music to the best level possible!” With this band full of humour and energy, he met quiet a success and numerously performed in Likasi alongside famous band such as Malidu System, Zaiko and Wenge Musika. Unfortunately, the war in Congo pushed them to separate and that is why he decided, after having lengthily prepared his trip, to start over in Tanzania in 1995. There, he joined his friends from Likasi, who had arrived sooner than him. He integrated the Dar Musika Band and Diamond Sound. He met great success thanks to a lot of performances in Tanzania and Kenya. Furthermore, their albums “Grands Pas” and “Jumamosi” touched a - A Career Progression Strangled By a Complex Political Situation - In 1999, once again, a political situation strangled his career. Indeed, in Tanzania a boycott against Congolese artists occurred on all radios and TV. It really offended him, but he did not give up even then. He decided to use this time to improve himself by taking classes with a professor from the Bagamoyo Art Academy specialized in Tumba, an instrument that really raised French’s interest at this time. Together, they released an album “Ngoma Njan” mixing tumba and guitar. For French, it is vital for artists to take time to study music and broaden their music and cultural knowledge. That is the advice that he gives to young African musicians since in Africa it is easier to be a musician without any basis. In parallel, he worked as a production assistant in Concord Studio and made some deeper researches about traditional music and composed as well. In 2002, to assist in his mother’s funeral he went back in Congo where he stayed for a while given the situation in Tanzania! He tried to find some activities in Congo, but the political situation was still not on his side! That is why in 2004, he flew to Zambia where he got along by playing guitar. 2005 marked his great comeback in Tanzania, with the band FM Academia before joining back with Diamond Muzika a year after, and met a huge success with the album Mapénzi kitu gani (What is love). - A Vision of Music that Naturally Pushed Him Toward Sanaa Sana -
When he is on stage, French loses all sense of reason, music transports him to another world. As he says “it is like a drug, I am high when I hear the smoothness of the music and the melody that come out of my guitar! I think about nothing less and it gets close to craziness!” His biggest concern is to touch the audience with his music and to show people what he’s able to do. - An Artist Full of Projects - As now his name means something in the musical scene, a lot of artists solicit him for collaboration and he is really proud of this achievement. He has formed relationships with artists such as Stara Thomas, who is becoming quite famous in Dar Es Salaam. In addition to his activities with Sanaa Sana and Diamond Muzika, he is also working on a solo album that he wishes will be able to release soon! Furthermore, being very curious and musically addicted, he is now studying more about jazz music.
- Alain Mulumba - Singer and Composer in Sanaa Sana - The Story of a Self-Taught Musician -
Many years later, he had the privilege to take singing classes at the ZMC (Zimbabwe Music College), which enabled him to improve his vocal technique. Alain has never learned how to read music, and he says that “the music when I have created it, it lives in me and then it stays in my mind”! Today, despite the fact that his very pious mother would have loved to see her son become a churchman, she is now very proud of his career. All of his 9 sisters and brothers follow his career with great interest; he has even inspired his brother to take up the guitar. - From Congo to Tanzania, or The Musical Conquest of East Africa -
His destination? Tanzania. In particularly Dar Es Salaam where his dream of performing in big cities could come true. With his new band Diamond Sound, and their album Grands Pas, he is the precursor of a new breed of music: the Swahili Congolese rumba which today is very popular in Dar Es Salaam. After a difficult period, he decided to leave the group and founded Da Muzika band with two of his childhood friends newly arrived in Tanzania. Afterward, he joined Diamond Muzika in Zimbabwe. Their album “This is Good” was a huge success and enabled the band to have great recognition from the Tanzanian and Zimbabwean public. It also opened the doors of many shows in Zambia and Zimbabwe and also gave them access to big festivals such as the AWASOME festival in Durban in 2003. There, he had the privilege to perform on the same stages as famous artists such as Jonathan Batla and Brenda Fassi. After all of this, Alain needed to return to his roots. Eight years to the day since he left the Congo he returned. He got involved in the Kinshasa music scene before a brief time in Zimbabwe and a return to Tanzania to form the group Swali. - Music and Alain - Alain is a passionate performer and he feels more at home on stage than anywhere else. As he says, when he is on stage, he really feels free in himself and the music enables him to get rid off all the stress. This soul, funk, Congolese and Senegalese music lover has been influenced by artists such as Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomidé, Angélique Kidjo, Salif Keita and Youssou Ndour. Furthermore, Alain dedicates to Michael Jackson a boundless admiration. He recalls that when he was a child, if they wanted him to go to sleep, his parents had to put some of the King of Pop videos on. His first performance on stage was based on Michael Jackson choreography! When it comes to the composition, this artist likes to bring out the beautiful things of life. For him, music should not be sad and even if sometimes his songs deal with serious subjects it will always be with a dose of optimism. In his composition, he is writing about life and love. Despite having to deal with a lot of issues in his own country, Alain does not get involved in politics “I prefer to leave the political to politicians!” Being locked in one musical style is not his type and that’s why the Sanaa Sana project appealed to him so much! - Alain and Sanaa Sana - In the past, Alain already had the opportunity to see Sanaa Sana on stage before their Finland tour. He admired their work and already thought that it would be very interesting to work with them. He got his way when his friend, Toto Zébingwa, told him about the collaboration proposition of Yuster Nyakachara, and the initiative of Sanaa Sana. It was without any hesitation that Alain accepted. For him, Sanaa Sana combines all the rhythms of Africa and embodies joy, and the love of music and dance.
- Cassim Safari Mumba - Bassist - The Kid that Walks in His Father’s Steps? - It’s in 1993, when he was studying at the Jongo Primary School, Cassim started playing music. Music is the root of the Mumba’s family. Indeed, Cassim’s father was in the band Murumba African Jazz. When he was a child, Cassim attended all the rehearsals and cherished the idea of one day being a member of his father band. That is why he started, with the help of his father, to learn the bass guitar. 2000 was the consecration year for him! Indeed, he finally joined the band when the later moved to Dar Es Salaam. Unfortunately, it did not last long, as in 2001 he decided to leave the group to join the Tanzanian rumba band Bantu. In the meantime, he set up a group with other professional musicians with which he went to perform in Zimbabwe. Even if he does not have any more projects with members of his family, he still shares all his musical moment with them and they are happy and proud of him. - The Music Crossroad Festival or the Passport to International? - After having performed in Zimbabwé, Cassim left his previous bands to join Africali. In 2003, they won the Music Crossroad Competition in Dar es Salaam which brought them to set the stage on fire at an international scale. They first travelled to Malawi, and then also stole the show during two weeks in Los Angeles, where they had the chance to play alongside the famous South-African singer Miriam Makeba, one of Cassim’s idols! His international experience didn’t stop there as the group also performed for one week in Turkey. In 2005, through th When he came back to Tanzania in 2007, because of many arguments, the band decided to separate. Cassim was then hired by the famous bongo-flava/Takeo style musician, Mister Nice. He played for him during his tour in Mozambique. - The Continuation of the Road of Success – In 2008, he joined the very famous band over East Africa Akudo Impact, in which he is still now in parallel with Sanaa Sana. Fortified by their success, the Thanks to this, Cassim can now “pay the rent, the school fees for [his] brother and can buy some makeup for [his] wife!” he jokes.He is very proud of being part of this successful band that played a full house in the Diamond Jubilee, one of Dar Es Salaam biggest music hall, when they released their first album. The public was there and really enjoyed their music! In 2009, his friend and partner in Akudo Impact, Toto Zébingwa, told him about the Sanaa Sana project and the wish of Yuster, after having seen him perform in Europe, to collaborate with him. His projects are now totally focused on Sanaa Sana and Akudo Impact which will release their second album “History No Changes” in July 2010. For this album, the band that always wants to surprise the public, has created a brand new show. The public can be sure that the show will be remarkable! - Cassim, Music and Sanaa Sana - Cassim is never alone on stage, indeed in addition to the musician of the band he is playing with, he can say that the “Sheitan” is with him! Indeed, he feels totally bewitched when he is playing and it is like the “sheitan” or devil, is pushing him. With Sanaa Sana, when he is playing, he is taking inspiration from everyone. To quote him, he loves playing with this band full of young artists “that have energy, motivation and the vision to do amazing things with the willingness to reach all of the world”
- Haji Saidi Mgwani -– Drummer - A Multi-Talented Artist -
When he joined Africaraha, a traditional music band, in 2000, he had trained for a year with a Bagamoyo Art College teacher who was running a project to teach to artists to play percussions, guitar and acting. One of his moment as an artist that he will never forget occurred when he was with Africaraha. He recorded one drama show they made for the refugees. For this show, they made a special gesture, indeed; they invited as guest of honour, despite their bad image in peoples’ minds, the soldiers from the salvation army In 2001, he joined New Generation group which was the Tanzanian NGO TACAIDS project to educate the people against AIDS but also to provide them with some life advice. As part of this project, they performed at the Saba Saba trade show, which is a big exhibition that occurs every year in Dar. In 2003, in addition to his dancing and drumming abilities, he decided to become a teacher in order to pass on everything he has learnt to others. Then, he left New Generation and began working with the Tamba group, where he was teaching dance and African drum. This band was dealing with traditional Ngoma but also drama which enabled him to take the performance to another level. In 2004, he starred in the film “Insyuka”. In 2005, after the separation of the group, he rejoined New Generation and attended some other trade shows with TACAIDS. That’s where one of the director of the Simba Theatre Group approached him to invite him to join the band. He first started in the band as a dancer but then, thanks to his experience in Ngoma, he filled the drummer position soon after. With the Simba Theater Band he had the opportunity to perform in many places at an international level, such as at the Busara Zanzibar Festival and shows in China in 2004 and for 4 months in 2007, too. He went back to China in 2007 for 4 months to perform at the Beijing port. In 2009, he joined Shada, the group of the famous singer Carola Kinasha. Later the same year he joined Sanaa Sana, and has since gone to Ethiopia and Finland to perform with the group.
The root of Haji’s love of music comes from his grandfather, who played the traditional Ngoma. After many times of seeing him play this kind of Ngoma that was so spiritual, Haji got a different sense of music and that is what inspired him. Haji is an artist for whom music needs to have a sense and must mean something. He puts himself completely into his music. He is always inspired by the condition he is in at the moment and he will compose about what he has in his mind. His other sources of inspiration are Bob Marley for the message he delivered in his songs, Youssou Ndour, Eric Wainawaina and also Katasinga. As a complete artist, between dance, drama and music he is now able to make his living through performance and focus totally on his passion. Haji puts the public at the centre of his concerns while performing. He is always worried about how the public will appreciate the music and always gives his best to satisfy them. -Haji, Sanaa Sana and His Projects - It was at the Nyunba Ya Sana (the House of Art) that Haji met Yuster. This place is dedicated to artists. There, they can speak about music, art, talk about projects and also perform some shows. It is the place of artistic exchange and sharing. He first became a teacher for the music programs for Yuster’s NGO, Art in Tanzania and when the idea of Sanaa Sana arose, Yuster immediately thought of him. Besides Sanaa Sana, he also has some solo projects like film projects and he will participate in one of Shada’s next group project.
- Amadi Raphael Chitalula -
Western Drums - An Artist Who Always Knew What He Wanted -
Amadi does not like to lose time and always seeks what will be fulfilling for him. For this reason, he often moved from band to band at the beginning of his career. When he came to Dar Es Salaam in 1992, he became a permanent member of the Azimo Dancing Group and then joined the Makutano Dancing Group. From 1993 to 1995, he joined the Tanga Tanga Music Band with which he performed in Tanga and then he joined Solt Band. It is at this period that Akudo Impact approached him to join the band. It was finally the moment for Amadi, settled with this very famous band, where he was able to make the kind of music he wished! He recorded with the group for the launching of Akudo Impact’s album when they played with Bozzi Bozzi. For Amadi, his dream of one day playing with a very famous musician came true! In 2008, he made a little break with Akudo Impact, to participate in a project composed of a selection of musicians in an African music group. This project brought him to Maskati’s scene in Oman at the Arabic Festival. - Amadi, Music and Sanaa Sana - Within Sanaa Sana, he dances sometimes but his predilection is for the western drum. If he likes dancing, it is thanks to artists such as Michael Jackson and Mbilia Bell. As far as his passion for music is concerned, the culprits are Steven Iza and Zigi Said. For Amadi, music is a passport to another world, he says that when he is on stage “whatever issues he can have in his life, he feels refreshed! It is like if a big fresh wave takes away all his problem and he just feels good!”. He owes the opportunity of being a member of Sanaa Sana to one of his friend of Akudo Impact that talked to him about the project. He is enthusiastic all the more since he thinks that all the Sanaa Sana artists are talented, professional and he really enjoys that everyone has adapted to each other.
Amadi’s projects are now focused on Sanaa Sana and on Akudo Impact which will release its second album “History No Changes” in July 2010.
- Henry Zacharia Kaboye - Drummer, Dancer - The Beginning of a Stubborn Boy -
However, it is not his uncle who taught him how to play. He really started to play after one day during a rehearsal. He asked if he could try playing the drum and everyone realized that he had a natural gift for it. In his family, except his uncle and his sister who is an acrobat and a dancer as well, no one is an artist. That’s why at the beginning, his family didn’t approve the path he chose. But Henry, nicknamed “Mzuzo” (stubborn in English) by his friends, did not give up because he knew that it was really what he wanted to do. - A Young Artist With Experience - After having learnt the first steps in dance in his primary school, in 2007 Henry joined the Chkekaneo dancing group in Zanzibar. Despite his young age, the director noticed his mastery and also his talent in traditional Ngoma dance. That’s why he hired him in the band as a dancer, but also as a teacher. He had the opportunity with the band to perform many shows in hotels but also at government events as for the venue of the Canadian president. This enabled him to gain invaluable professional experience.. In 2008, he came back to Dar Es Salaam and participated in the Upfit project. The Upfit project was an initiative of - A Dream That Comes True - Now Henry can be proud of himself, because two of his dreams have come true, and it is just the beginning! First, it was his dream to travel overseas and above all, to perform his art on an international scale. Sanaa Sana enabled him to accomplish this! His travel to Finland is his best artistic memory so far. He will never forget about the boat he took to make the connection between Stockholm and Helsinki. As he says: “It was like the Titanic and I never imagined that this kind of boat existed for real. I thought it was just possible thanks to the computerized effect! It was amazing!” Secondly, he is very excited and proud of being able to work with Toto ZéBingwa because he is a famous musician and he has only dreamt of working with him. He is also very proud of working for a band such as Sanaa Sana because they are doing a very interesting kind of music and he knows that he will learn a lot from the other professional musicians.
-Kilimatinde Selemani Mohammed-
Percussionist - An Entrance into the Musical World By Accident - On the contrary to many other artists, as a child, music was not a passion or a dream for Kilimatindé. His introduction to music was by accident. - Kilimatinde: His Artistic Life - For Kilimatinde, “music is life”. Already, this artist has a CV full of very interesting international and national experiences. He is really fond of African music from the African fusion style of Olivia Mtukudzi to the afro-jazz of Youssou Ndour and Nfenikuti. But he also enjoys listening to hip hop and he is a fan of Akon. Since the beginning of his career, he had the opportunity to perform in many festivals such as the SADIC, Snow show in Sweden and also the Busara Zanzibar festival where he and his band Tweturobo had the privilege to perform with the participation of John Ragga and Enock, famous Ethiopian keyboarders and singers. The stage is his second home, and even if he still gets a bit nervous before every show, everything vanishes when he feels that the audience is enjoying the music. His best moment in his artistic life? With no hesitation, it would be the first time he came to the recording studio for the Sisi Tembala album! He was nervous but was confident in his abilities to record, and when he finally had the album in his hands, he was so happy and proud of the work he had done. - Kilimatinde and Sanaa Sana - He was contacted by Yuster to be a part of the Sanaa Sana project, and as they had already worked together before, it was easy to accept this proposition. However, in parallel he is still in his previous band Tweturobo. His opinion about Sanaa Sana? He says that “It’s amazing for me to be a part of this band because I would have never imagined I could do this kind of music before! So I am confident that if we all stick together we are going to do awesome things! We really have a different vision of music and our sound is original.”
- Hato The Boss -
Percussionist
|
nd skills, so that they can sustainably develop themselves and enhance their quality of life.
Dancer and Choir Singer in Sanaa Sana
experience. She went to perform in China for three months in 2005 and four months in 2006. In 2004, they also participated to the famous Bansara Zanzibar Festival.
ved as far a field as Europe.
Havintishi wants something, she gives her best to surpass herself and get it! This young mother has always put an impetus on being independent and succeeding by herself.
Sijali found her passion in dance when she was a child and was studying at the primary school where she was a member of the school band.
he had performed at the Fiesta Festival which is a Tanzanian hip-hop and traditional festival.
influences Toto is a passionate musician who as well as being a highly talented dancer, has shown great skill in turning his gift to singing and song writing. Indeed it is his multi faceted talent that makes him such an impressive musical artist.
t was a historical year for the contest as it was celebrating its 50 years of existence. After 6 months of competition and among 2000 artists in competition, it was Toto’s song “Sina Neno Linginé”, that BBC’s listeners voted for. The song that means “I have no other words to tell you except I love you” spoke directly to the audience who had warmly supported him. From this moment, Toto had great national, but also international recognition!
- Toto and Music -
Indeed, the first question that comes to mind when we meet French is “Where does your name come from?” Sweeping away all hypothesises of any geographical fondness of his parents, the name French is actually a wink at the musician called Franco that French’s father really loved. He has also been nicknamed by his friends “Katasinga” which means the “Cords Killer”. It is not his ability to break guitars cords that earned him this nickname, but rather the fact that as he says “my friends could feel the cords vibrate when I was playing, that’s why they called me Katasinga”. French can record that his friends throughout his life have dubbed him by many names related to music but also related to his other passion: football! Indeed, he has been named Alitalia in reference to his idol Paolo Rossi and because he always enjoyed wearing the Italian blue shir
t when he was playing!
keep studying while doing some music on the side, but after a while he decided to drop his studies because he could not do both at the same time and preferred to totally focus on music.
large audience and they had the huge opportunity to perform alongside artists such as Brenda Fassi and Papa Wemba. Playing in front of Brenda Fassie is his best artistic memory. Indeed, he is one of her biggest fans and when she came to congratulate him after his performance, it was like a consecration to him! She even expressed her wish to collaborate with him, but unfortunately at that time because of a lack of time he postponed the invitation. He has been completely upset since she passed away, and now regrets bitterly not having seized the opportunity at the time.
What French loves in music is originality and diversity. His influences are varied from funk with Georges Benson, by the Lionel Ritchie soul music to French music such as Francis Cabrel, and of course, the African pop of Brenda Fassie. When he is composing, he takes his inspiration from African life, love, society and love. Cinema to which he is very fond stimulates a lot of his creativity. When his friend Toto Zébingwa told him about the collaboration project with Sanaa Sana he did not show hesitation before accepting. Indeed, French likes originality and likes the idea of doing a different kind of music. The musical scene was mostly focused on Congolese rumba and it did not interest him anymore. That is why working with Sanaa Sana interested him. To him, in this band there really is place to experiment with music that blends different kind of music such as jazz, African traditional and also reggae and rumba. To quote him “this is the occasion to tell the world a new music!”
Music has always been a part of Alain’s family and talent is in his blood! His passion for music arose after having spent hours, being rocked by the melodies his father used to play on the guitar. As a child, he learned to play many instruments including the guitar and numerous percussion instruments which he taught himself to play as his father rarely had time to.
From his beginning in Congo to now, Alain’s route has been full of new developments! He found his first success with the Congolese rumba band Traction de Bogosse. This was his first professional band and they made a lot of shows sharing the same stage as famous bands such as Big Star and Malidu System. This success encouraged him and fuelled his ambition. In 1996, he decided to try the big adventure.
e Crossroad Project, they went to Belgium and then they also performed in 2006 in The Netherlands at The Mondial Festival, the tenth biggest European festival, and at the Amsterdam Festival. Finally that same year, they also received acclaim from Spanish and Slovenian audiences. Up till now, the moment Cassim will never forget in his artistic career took place in Slovenia. Indeed, his dream was to one day perform in front of a massive audience. During the show in Slovenia, the crowd grew to over 5,000 music lovers. It was awesome to perform in front of so many people! The Mondial festival offered him the same opportunity to show his music to a very large audience. Within that audience was a person that would notice him and would one day be able to propose to him something that would change his musical career, Yuster Nyakachara!
y are still solicited by many clubs and showrooms to perform many times a week.
Haji arrived in Dar at the age of 4, he then started playing drum bass in the music parade band of his primary school.
of Lugalo camp. He points out that performing in front of all those soldiers in uniform was impressive and he will never forget that day.
- Music From Ancestors and Inspiration From His Own Life -
After having studied at Mahimbo Primary School, Amadi decided to jump into his passion: music. His goal? Playing one day in the band of his village, the Sega Dance group, a traditional Ngoma group. For that purpose, he decided to take classes at the SUA Art College that he then attended two years later after having successfully passed the entrance interview. At the Art College he was taught everything about Tanzanian Ngoma but also about all other kinds of music which stimulated his creativity, trained his musical ear and made him into a very versatile artist.
Young Henry would have never thought that he would be a musician one day. Henry had always been an artist but it was first in dance that he dabbled. The passion for music arose when he was seeing his uncle playing the Deda, a traditional Ngoma drum. Indeed, he spent a lot of time with him and was bewitched by the sound coming out from the drums. It then became crystal clear to him that he would play this as well; his uncle has been a real source of inspiration to him. Besides his uncle, he has been inspired by Sei Dour Keita and Zawose a famous Tanzanian musician playing the marimba.
the famous dancer, Yuster Nyakachara who was teaching to arrange a stage performance mingling theatre, dance and music. The project was held at the Nyunba Ya Sana which is also the rehearsal place of the Simba Theatre group. After noticing him there, Henry joined the group to fill the percussionist and dance position. With the band he performed at many famous designers fashion shows such as Asia Idalusi’s “Lady in Red” fashion show at the Kempinski Hotel and the Mustafa Asanali’s show at the Diamond Jubilee. In 2009, he had the huge opportunity to be contacted by Yuster to become a member of Sanaa Sana with which his international career started. Indeed, they have performed many shows already in Finland including the Koriamo Pop Jazz College Festival and the Ethno Sound Festival.
He first started music in school in 1999 with Mr Bosolwa but it was just as a hobby. Some years after, he went to see the rehearsal of a group and the percussionist of the band wasn’t there. As a consequence, the teacher asked him if he could try to play. It appeared that he was really talented and as a result, the teacher asked him to replace the percussionist for the show. He was paid for this, and that is when he realized that he could do this for a living. It was not easy for his very religious father to accept his son’s career choice, but even if he never encouraged him, he never held him back, and Kilimatindé was certain of what he was doing.
Popular
Powered by Joomla!. Designed by Lonex hosting company, free domain. Valid XHTML and CSS.