'THE SWAHILI SINGING STAR SITI BINT SAAD AND THE TARAB TRADITION IN ZANZIBAR'
By Abdullah Amur Suleiman*
Siti Binti Saad
Part 2
(continued)
I know few women even amongst the educated class who posses such admirable diction and eloquence in Swahili as that displayed by Siti binti Saad. Her command of Swahili was nothing but superb. You would love to hear her speaking. She composed her own songs, put them to music and sang them. Here as a few of the ones I remember:-
- Walikuwa na mwenzio, yuwapi sihadaike
- Majonzi uliyonayo, sasa furahi ucheke
- Umebakia pwekeye, mrushe ndege aruke
- Asumini zimeghalike mjini
- Hazitunge, hazimwaye kitandani
- Mimi wake, sijui wewe wa nani
- Saidana nuru za macho mawili
- Hikuona hiingiwa na shughuli
- Hudanganya, muhibu akiwa mbali
Her favourite songs in Arabic were (1) Khaif, which at the present time is sung by Ummu Kulthumu of Egypt (2) Wahayataka (3) Kam Bathna Maa Nasimu Salama and (4) Burhum ya Barhum. She sang other Arabic songs as well these were her best numbers.
With no loudspeaker device, you could hear Siti clearly singing miles away, especially at night. She must have had lungs as strong as a lion’s, to get her voice travelling so far. The wonderful and powerful voice she possessed could quell a disturbance created by hooligans. Among her colleagues the late Subeit (Basha) Ambar Sanga:-
- Masikini na mwanagu mwanamke
- Baharini nimemwacha yupweke
- Rahamani mukewe, aokoke
Buda Suwedi’s favourate song was composed by Masoud bin Amran el Barwani and sung by him:-
- Ufakari Jambo zito aliyeumba kahari
- Mkubwa huwa mtoto, na rijali huwa thori
- Usemalo kama ndoto, humo katika shauri
Maalim Shaaban recorded Milad Nabii, an enlogy on the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, (May peace be on Him).
After the death of Subeit (Basha) Ambar, Bwana Kheri stepped in a s a string musician of high reputation. He also played the violin. Other musicians like Mbaruku Effandi, Ali Athmani and Hilal Issa joined Siti binti Saad’s orchestra. She had a good ear for the music and would stop to correct the musician if they were wrong somewhere.
Strings musical clubs like well organized Akhwan Safa and others existed as early as 1900 but such clubs devoted much time to the promotions of Arabic Songs. Very little interests were taken in Swahili songs. Other clubs in different localities like Baraste Kipande, Malindi, kwa Bi Jokha and Mchangani took a leading role in promoting Swahili songs. Picnics were organized and Swahili songs took up the part of the days and nights out.Baraste Kipande near Malandege is one of the historical localities in Zanzibar. With big open spaces of land much wealth was spent in organizing of singing and dancing festivals. The famous the Changani Clubs like Silver day and Golden Night rivalled each other there and hundreds of thousands of rupees were spent.
A Taarab singing orchestra belonging to Baraste Kipande used to hold expensive functions and guests were entertained to sumptuous dishes and even hot drinks before Taarab started. The singing star on these occasions was Siti Binti Saad. Even the British Residents in Zanzibar, Princesses and Princes used to attend such functions. Khamis bin Ali commonly known as Khamis Bundi ,took a leading role in organizing these functions for Baraste Kipande .
Siti Binti Saad sang in Dar-Es-Salaam. Mombassa, Pemba and once went to Nairobi to record some songs. Here in town she used to sing in locality in the Stone Town are of Zanzibar known as Mayungwani. During the month of Ramadhan when Muslims are fasting Siti binti Saad used to entertain in her house at Vikokotoni where guests could play such games of cards as Wahed Wa sitini and listen to Taarab Music. Such functions were held from nine till midnight.
Bibi Jokha Abdulla could very well followed into foot steps of Siti but unfortunately this lady was withdrawn from singing. There are such ladies as Bibi Mwana Idi binti Hassan,Binti Issa and Bimkubwa Said and others who were singers as well as composers of Swahili songs but lacked the opportunities Siti binti Saad had.Binti Saad ,though a single woman had more compliments and good qualities than the combinations of many other ladies of her time.
Today the Cultural Department of the Afro-Shirazi Party has got all the musicians and singing stars of the different clubs together and organized them under this leadership of the Cultural Department. The popular demand of the day in Zanzibar is for the Revolutionary Songs and these have been given full time in Radio Tanzania, Zanzibar. Swahili love songs have been stopped for a while and the tempo is for revolutionary songs just to keep up with times and attitude of the people.
The younger generation of women have got tarab clubs like Banati(girls)and Sahib(friends). They are well organized and have got singing Stars like Binti Issa. Michenzani has produced the Michenzani Musical Club which has an all rounder in Bakari Abeid who is the leading star today in Zanzibar. Bakari cannot play music but he is a good composer ,singer and dramatist and the best actor we have today in Zanzibar. He is working for Radio Tanzania, Zanzibar.
Bakari Abeid has recorded many songs which are often heard on Radio Tanzania, Zanzibar and Radio Tanzania, Dar-Es-Salaam. Even Radio the Voice of Kenya and Mogadishu play his songs , which are mostly about love.
The most promising musician we have in Zanzibar is Al –Ustadh Idd Abdulla Farhani whose Father Abdulla Farhani is reputable artist and used to be a chairman of the Art and Craft Society of Zanzibar. Idd can play any string instrument and can compose and put music to the songs, but he does not sing himself. He is a leader of the Cultural Department Section . He learnt his music at the Akhwani Safa Club and teaches this subject at Lumumba College.
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(*This article was published first in Swahili, Volume 39, of 1969, pgs 87-90)
