Homegrown hits: Tanzania's home studios challenging standards

To some, home studios are a symbol of class and success, once reserved for stars in western countries

The Bongo Flava music scene is experiencing a seismic shift with the proliferation of home recording studios among artistes, resembling mushrooms sprouting in a fertile forest.

Some carve out dedicated spaces in their homes solely for recording their vocals.

Musicians such as Diamond Platnumz, Bob Junior, Nahreel, Harmonize, Marioo and many others all own home studio where they churn out projects.

To some, it is a symbol of class and success that was once reserved for stars in western countries.

Equipped with basic recording gear, software, and a creative spark, aspiring musicians and other stars in the industry are turning bedrooms and makeshift spaces into musical sanctuaries.

For many, these studios offer accessibility and affordability previously unimaginable in a landscape dominated by professional recording studios.

However, as they reshape the landscape of music production, questions arise: Are these home recording studios a boon propelling the industry forward, or do they pose a threat to its traditional structures?

Speaking with gospel music producer and artiste, Mathias Walichupa, he highlights the importance of home recording studios for artistes' creativity.

“Artistes often face significant challenges when they go to record; they encounter long queues and have to wait for extended periods, risking the loss of their ideas and intended sound. However, with a home studio, they have the ability to work on their projects with the same ideas intact and then take them to a producer for further refinement,” he shares.

He emphasises that owning a home recording studio alleviates the issue of overwhelming data for producers and minimises the risk of losing original recordings.

“Occasionally, when a song gains traction and needs a remix, the hurdle comes when you approach a producer only to find out they've deleted the original materials. However, having their own studio empowers the artistes to avoid this scenario by storing their own data securely,” he elaborates.

However, he underscores the significance of collaborating with professional producers or sound engineers to ensure exceptional quality.

“Having a recording studio doesn't mean that you should handle everything alone. It’s crucial to engage professional producers and sound engineers to ensure the work achieves its highest quality. Simply owning a home studio doesn't instantly qualify you as a professional producer; artistes should grasp this distinction,” says Mathias.

On the other hand, Bongo Flava producers mastermind behind hits ‘Kibango’ from Lavalava ft. Diamond Platnumz, ‘Honey’ from Zuchu, and Lugendo Zuberi, alias Mr. Lg, says that music isn't just about equipment.

“Owning home studios is vital for artistes, but it doesn't signify an absence of work. Even after completing initial tasks, we'll still schedule sessions to refine and perfect the songs crafted at home,” he says.

He also praised numerous artistes for their self-recording prowess, which streamlines the challenging process that would traditionally occur in a studio when they receive beats and tracks from producers.

“Hence, to attain a globally resonant danceable sound, it's advantageous for us producers to play a role in refining that sound. Home recordings, in particular, rely heavily on professional tools,” shares Mr Lg.

Jay Drama, believes it’s important for the authorities to make sure they go through these projects to set standards for good songs.

“Having many studios is not a bad thing; it isn’t like in the past when they were scarce and it was difficult for people to showcase their talents. Nowadays, anyone can have a home studio and produce quality work. However, what I recommend is for these forums and institutions to set standards for these studios because there are many productions, but only a few of them make the standards,” says Jay Drama.

Model and dancer Ben Breaker shares that having a home recording studio means that fans are expecting to see the good music as opposed to shallow productions.

“Each artiste now owns a home recording space, but I believe that because of this, some artistes are putting out bad records because they shy away from criticism and this affects the end product,” he elaborates.

According to Bongo Flava hip-hop artiste, Stamina, who has his own recording studio, ‘Paradise Music', where he has been releasing chart topping hits.

He believes that it’s important for artiste to be equipped with a home recording studio in today’s world.

Though it doesn’t mean that the artiste has to do all the work, he can use it to simplify projects therefore cutting the turnaround time.

“You can record rough material; it doesn’t mean that it’s the song that you want to put out, but you can use it when a studio is free, play it to a professional producer or an engineer, and re-record it,” he shares.

Hit songs such as ‘Underrated’, ‘Machozi’, and lots more were recorded in his home studio. Stamina elaborates that sometimes artiste need to learn from other artistes and try to create their own music without spending much time on producers.

“Nothing can replace a professional music producer, but if you’re creative in the technical aspect of recording, you can create some good music and collaborate with good music producers and engineers,” he elaborates.

Abdu Hamid, alias Kontawa, believes that having a home studio is one way to have a catalogue of songs that can be used for a mixtape.

He shares that he has an unlimited number of song ideas that need vocals, but it’s hard to spend an entire day at the studio, but if you have one at home, you can create several albums and EPs.

“I believe it will significantly assist producers in saving time since most of the vocal recording work will be handled by the artistes themselves, even from home. This means that when they come to the studio, only minor adjustments will be necessary,” shares Kontawa.

He further added that the home recording studio provides artistes with the opportunity to have numerous songs and generate more ideas through the convenience of their studios.

Home studios democratise music production, empowering individuals to pursue their creative passions. Yet, without proper guidance and support, they risk diluting industry standards.

Even with the convenience and speed of working with producers today, there's a certain essence that is absent compared to the days when artistes would gather and exchange ideas while awaiting their recording sessions.

Whether these studios prove to be a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the beat of change reverberates through the heart of Tanzanian music, promising a future where creativity knows no bounds.