Why traditional and Afro-fusion is not popular in Tanzania as mainstream music dominates

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has seen the rise of mainstream music genres such as Bongo Flava, Hip Hop, Singeli, and modern taarab.

However, traditional and Afro-fusion music, despite their cultural significance, have struggled to gain similar popularity and opportunities within the country.

While mainstream genres thrive, traditional and Afro-fusion artists face limited platforms to showcase their work, despite the often socially and globally relevant messages conveyed in their music.

Speaking to The Citizen, Upendo Manase, an African traditional solo artist specialising in singing and songwriting, highlighted the challenges.

“The audience decides what they want. This makes it challenging for us to access the same opportunities as mainstream musicians,” she said.

“We get limited performance slots—perhaps once every three months. Many of us depend on tours in Europe, which are hard to secure and only come once or twice a year,” said Ms Manase.

She added that visa applications are also a major hurdle, involving extensive back-and-forth processes.

Ms Manase called on authorities to facilitate easier visa access and for music stakeholders to create more platforms for traditional music within Tanzania.

The director of the Sauti za Busara International Music Festival, Mr Journey Ramadhan, noted that traditional music, which uses authentic instruments to preserve cultural identity, is more costly to produce than mainstream genres, where artists can buy beats and produce songs with relative ease.

He also expressed his observation that some media outlets and audiences favour mainstream music, leaving traditional artists with fewer opportunities.

“Equal opportunities should be given to all artists, as each genre brings unique value to our society. The distinctiveness of traditional and Afro-fusion music should not be a barrier but a reason to promote them,” he urged.

Veteran musician Jhikolabwino Manyika, who has spent 30 years in the traditional and Afro-fusion reggae scene, shared similar sentiments.

He has turned to European audiences, citing a lack of support in Tanzania for his music.

He called on cultural development bodies to work with the media to educate Tanzanians on the importance of supporting diverse music genres, not just Bongo Flava.