Morogoro. For believers and lovers of Catholic Church hymns, songs such as "Niongoze Vema Maria", "Sisi wana wa dunia", and "Ewe Bwana twakuomba upokee vipaji vyetu" have become staples of daily worship, yet few know their composer.
The Citizen’s sister newspaper Mwananchi travelled over 400 kilometres from Dar es Salaam to Ifakara to visit Mzee Pascal Florian Mwarabu, a composer of Catholic Church hymns whose music has blessed many lives.
Mr Mwarabu, now 83, recounts his journey of becoming a prominent Catholic song composer, serving the church in this capacity for 45 years.
“I am a native of Ifakara, where I studied before joining the Police Force. Even before and after retiring, I served as a Catholic church choir master. I attended primary school at Miembeni in Ifakara, completing standard four in 1954, having been born in 1943. At that time, there was Middle School from standard four to standard eight before secondary school,” he recounts.
“Secondary schools were very few; we used to go to Mzumbe or Kwiro Mahenge. I went to Mzumbe Secondary School in 1959 before independence and finished in 1962 in standard 12, taking the Cambridge School Certificate examination. In 1962, a year after independence, I joined the Police Force,” continues Mr Mwarabu.
Speaking about his career in the police, he says his life involved constant transfers across regions.
“After joining the police, I was transferred to Mwanza for two years, then Mbeya, Iringa, Sumbawanga, Singida, and Dodoma, serving in the police communications unit,” he says.
“In 1973, I was sent for studies in Canada at Algonquin College in Ottawa and undertook practical training in Toronto until 1975. When I returned, I served in Mwanza, Shinyanga, Mara (Musoma), and Kagera,” says Mr Mwarabu.
However, in 1976, he was transferred to State House in Dar es Salaam, staying for 18 years and serving under former founding President Julius Nyerere until 1985 and then President Ali Hassan Mwinyi for nearly eight years.
“When I was transferred to the President's Office at State House, we were security personnel tasked with protecting the President,” he says.
However, he says illness struck, forcing him to retire prematurely.
“I suffered from various illnesses for 11 years while at work. My leg swelled and my body began to paralyse on one side. I was examined at Muhimbili by doctors such as Dr Kinasha and Dr Kibatala, but they found no problem. That is when I decided to apply for early retirement in 1993 and returned to Ifakara,” says Mr Mwarabu.
Marriage life
Mr Mwarabu reminisces about his marriage in 1975 to Christina, who has since passed away.
“I married in 1975 while in Dodoma, where I also taught songs to the Sisters of Mercy and choir members. For example, my close friend Peter Mavunde, father of Minister Anthony Mavunde, used to play the keyboard while I led the singing,” says Mr Mwarabu.
“I remember my marriage was solemnised by Father Peter Sakalani during the tenure of the late Bishop Isuja, who also played the keyboard while I led the singing,” adds Mr Mwarabu.
Mzee Mwarabu expressed deep gratitude, thanking everyone who supported him on his evangelisation journey, including Mwalimu Goliama, the principal choir-leading master in Dodoma, who is still alive.
“I wish them a good life too. They remember me from those past years, just as I remember them. May God continue to bless them,” says Mr Mwarabu.
Verses of one of Mr Mwarabu's songs
We children of the world let us remember the words, spoken by the Virgin Mary, when she appeared to the children of Fatima, Lucia, Francis and Jacinta
She said let us pray, let us pray the rosary, to gain peace
And let us pray for those sinners who have no intercessor...”
To be continued tomorrow
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