Congo In Dar : Dance No Sweat Volume 11

Description

With a population of just under one million inhabitants in 1980, Dar es Salaam was still the "haven of peace" that its name suggests, despite two decades of Ujamaa austerity policies (the "African socialism" of President Nyerere), the collapse of the East African community, the closure of the border with Kenya, and the costs of the 1979 war against Idi Amin in Uganda. In the evening, Dar es Salaam dazzled with its extremely vibrant live music scene, featuring over 20 professional bands that circulated through the city's nightclubs, playing what is known in Swahili as muziki wa dansi. The 1960s and 1970s saw an influx of many bands from neighboring Congo-Zaire. Generally hired by upscale clubs and hotels in Dar es Salaam and Arusha for a limited time, some musicians and bands stayed, including the musicians from the future orchestras Maquis and Safari Sound. Like other private groups, the Congolese soon struggled to maintain their performances for local bar owners: while Maquis enjoyed huge success with their dance style Kamanyola Bila Jasho ("dance Kamanyola without sweating") at the end of the 1970s, their status as expatriates and the changing economy led them to turn necessity into virtue: they had to adhere to the Ujamaa socialist ethic by acquiring land on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, selling agricultural products at the Kariakoo market, and forming under the name OMACO (Orchestre Maquis Company). During the same period, Ndala Kasheba and other members of Safaris Nkoy merged to form the new Orchestre Safari Sound (OSS), created by Hugo Kisima, a local entrepreneur and owner of the Safari Resort in Kimara, located outside Dar es Salaam. Among the public or parastatal groups mentioned above, these two private groups were the only ones that could claim the top spot on the nightclub circuit of Dar es Salaam at the time.