Zanzibara 10 - First Modern: Taarab Vibes From Mombasa & Tanga, 1970-1990

Taarab is a popular genre of music in Tanzania and Kenya. He is influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. In the 1970s a new taarab appeared in the coastal towns of Mombasa and Tanga: In Mombasa, Matano Juma's Morning Star replaced strings with distorted organ sounds, amplified violin or clarinet; and Zuhura Swaleh made the electrified tashkota the dominant instrument in his orchestra, while drawing inspiration from the rhythms and dances of the coastal ngoma. Crossing the border from Kenya to Tanzania, at Tanga, the electric guitars and dancing rhythms of the Black Star Musical Club widened the audience of the taarab, far from the Swahili coastal towns.

From the 1960s to the 1990s Mombasa was at the forefront of taarab production, thanks in large part to the dynamic Mzuri label. They didn't just record and promote artists from Mombasa, they also invited Tanzanian bands like the Black Star or the Egyptian Music Club from Dar es Salaam. During the 1970s the cassette replaced the record and the activity moved to the side of Mbwana Radio Service in the old town of Mombasa which would soon become the new center of production and distribution of the taarab. In the 1980s, it will reach other heights with the voices and successes of Malika and Mwanahela and its Golden Star.

With the economic and political crisis that Kenya experienced in the early 1990s, and the simultaneous emergence of Dar es Salaam as a new center of East African production, Mombasa began to lose its dominant position in the taarab. The very early 1990s saw the emergence of the so-called modern taarab, a new style based on drum machines and powerful sound systems, and also on the new fashion for provocative and insulting lyrics. Be that as it may, the musical innovations of Matano, Zuhura and the Black Star opened up new perspectives very early on; and the words of Malika and the Golden Star already heralded what was to come in the 1990s. This is why the Mombasa-Tanga taarab is now affectionately referred to as First Modern.

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You also export your Prestashop catalog on Ebay with Iziflux Taarab is a popular genre of music in Tanzania and Kenya. He is influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. In the 1970s a new taarab appeared in the coastal towns of Mombasa and Tanga: In Mombasa, Matano Juma's Morning Star replaced strings with distorted organ sounds, amplified violin or clarinet; and Zuhura Swaleh made the electrified tashkota the dominant instrument in his orchestra, while drawing inspiration from the rhythms and dances of the coastal ngoma. Crossing the border from Kenya to Tanzania, at Tanga, the electric guitars and dancing rhythms of the Black Star Musical Club widened the audience of the taarab, far from the Swahili coastal towns. With the economic and political crisis that Kenya exper