Performance - 28 June 2009
Culture Musical Club (Zanzibar)
Arab melodies from Zanzibar with the queen of Taarab, the 93 year old Bi Kidude
Founded in 1958, the Culture Musical Club is Zanzibar’s premier taarab club. The
orchestra performs widely at concerts in Zanzibar town, but also frequently travels
overland with a fold-up stage and an electricity generator to bring its music to the
rural areas as well. The club has released hundreds of songs on the local market and
since 1988 they have had six releases on the international market. The orchestra has
had highly successful tours all over Europe in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005
and 2007; in September 2006 they toured the US to high acclaim, in July 2007 the
club performed in Japan. A North American tour is planned for the 2008-2009
season. Besides taarab, many club members are also active in kidumbak groups, smaller ensembles that play a more down-home dance-focused music. Both types of music are played on stage, contrasting the serene sound of orchestral taarab to the festive and sexually charged dance that is kidumbak.
On its tours the club regularly features invited guest singers. The summer 2009 will include the legendary 93 year old Bi Kidude, the veteran diva of Zanzibar, who is now in her mid-90s but is still famous for breaking taboos, both in her sexually-explicit lyrics and her bravery for daring to sing with her face uncovered.
Rajab Suleiman, qanun, kidumbak
Ali Hassan, oud, violin, cherewa
Kesi Juma, violin
Makame Faki, vocals, violin
Taimour Rukuni, accordion, mkwasa
Mahmoud Juma, bass, cherewa
Amour Haji, dumbak, sanduku
Foum Faki, bongos, kidumbak
Rukia Ramadhani, vocals, chorus
Fatma Juma, chorus, dance, rika
Bi Kidude, vocals
Mgeni Khamis, chorus, dance
Bi Kidude (Fatuma binti Baraka), singer, born around 1910; died 17 April 2013
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She Sings in old Swahili and its full of hidden meaning and I may miss some parts
Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile(Small wrist bangle) it has fallen off
Chorus form the women: Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Aaah! God doesn't send letters when he wants to bless you, x2
He will give it to you in your sleep without you knowing,
Running marathon crying you didn't get any, you are wasting your time,
Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Chorus form the women: Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Walks with a swagger, when coming to me, x2
I made a promise, to salute him with my necklace
Ooh for f*ck sake I give up, humans are all the same, (thankless)
Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Chorus form the women: Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Love has no mastery, I have known of this from early on, x2
If you have a quarrel you are never out of my sight
I love you and you don't love me, so where is the but word good for?
Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Chorus form the women: Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
A bad coconut is not a good one even if it shakes,
Never argue with the coconut tree climber what if he gets mad,
He who prefers auctioning for others will never want to get/find job offers
Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Chorus form the women: Sun come out eeh x4, shine on my kibangile it has fallen off
Joel Kabigi