PlanckScale
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 28, 2008
- 550
- 169
As I assemble songs for my collection ...
Old skool is relative, so when I speak of old school, for me, it is the music era between the mid 70s to the mid 80s. So a song like "keep on moving" by Soul II Soul is pretty much new staff to me. Great song, but just not old skool. Having said that, I do understand that 90s music is another generation's old skool, and I respect that.
I have actuallybeen intrigued by why one feels very much attached to the music of a certain era. And for me it was the music during my teen years – late 70s/late 80s. Of-course, some of my music test goes far beyond the eighties (thanks to my brother and his friends for their influence) with songs such as Evil's way by Santana, or the song Why by Osibisa (nakumbuka Jose Kusaga akituringishia kuipiga hii nyimbo kwenye piano pale Italian/Surrender bridge Club). If you ask me about good music I will tell you that the pinnacle was between 1977 to 1984, especially 1980-82 era. Coincidently, this was the time when were old enough to go out to party. The friendships which we established during that time also seemed to be of much significant, sort like "best friend for life". So I guess one could say that the choices you made as a teenager will define who you are for the rest of your life (Physiologists in the JF are you listening!).
Looking back at that era and having spent at least 20 years trying to re-collect all the music I used to listening to, has made me realize how difficult it must have been to get those albums into the country. It is quite amazing especially if you consider that Watanzania walikuwa hawasafiri kama sikuizi. Yaani ukienda ulaya wakati huo it was either scholarship, au kwa ku- Stowaway. Kwahiyo supply chain ya mziki ilikuwa very limited. Sio kama sikuhizi - you just download. Mangoma mengi tulikuwa tunayapata kwa kufyonza tepu kwa tepu (You tape it from a friend who has also taped it from another friends, and so forth). It is really quite interesting how mangoma used to spread in Dar in those days. And to complicate the matter, most of the songs we didn't even know who the artists are (unakumbuka "nipe kesi ya soda" – can't you see I am so trapped!!)
Some folks (madingi) did help with sourcing music from abroad. For example, Mzee Warioba (that is right, the honorary Judge himself!) provided us with a lot of reggae music, especially when he was working in Jamaica. Mutabaruka songs were probably through his supply chain. But the most interesting group of all when it cames to sourcing music from abroad, were the stowaways (mabaharia). Hawa jamaa walikuwa the major source of madebe (miziki). In order to be up-to-date music wise, you had to have a close friend who was either related to a seaman or who knew someone that had a brother who was a seaman. Or something like that! Contribution ya mabaharia haikuishia kwenye mangoma tuu. Hawa jamaa ndio walio kuwa wakileta fashion mjini na staili mpya za kuruka majoka (dance style), maana wakati huo hakukua na MTV. Ndio maana in those day, most people used to dream of stowaway. Nakumbuka vividly maandishi kwenye ukuta wa darasani ukisema "Sea never dries, one day mzingani"(Hapa Msingani inamaanisha kwenye meli).
I, therefore, take my hat-off kwa walio zamia meli.
Old skool is relative, so when I speak of old school, for me, it is the music era between the mid 70s to the mid 80s. So a song like "keep on moving" by Soul II Soul is pretty much new staff to me. Great song, but just not old skool. Having said that, I do understand that 90s music is another generation's old skool, and I respect that.
I have actuallybeen intrigued by why one feels very much attached to the music of a certain era. And for me it was the music during my teen years – late 70s/late 80s. Of-course, some of my music test goes far beyond the eighties (thanks to my brother and his friends for their influence) with songs such as Evil's way by Santana, or the song Why by Osibisa (nakumbuka Jose Kusaga akituringishia kuipiga hii nyimbo kwenye piano pale Italian/Surrender bridge Club). If you ask me about good music I will tell you that the pinnacle was between 1977 to 1984, especially 1980-82 era. Coincidently, this was the time when were old enough to go out to party. The friendships which we established during that time also seemed to be of much significant, sort like "best friend for life". So I guess one could say that the choices you made as a teenager will define who you are for the rest of your life (Physiologists in the JF are you listening!).
Looking back at that era and having spent at least 20 years trying to re-collect all the music I used to listening to, has made me realize how difficult it must have been to get those albums into the country. It is quite amazing especially if you consider that Watanzania walikuwa hawasafiri kama sikuizi. Yaani ukienda ulaya wakati huo it was either scholarship, au kwa ku- Stowaway. Kwahiyo supply chain ya mziki ilikuwa very limited. Sio kama sikuhizi - you just download. Mangoma mengi tulikuwa tunayapata kwa kufyonza tepu kwa tepu (You tape it from a friend who has also taped it from another friends, and so forth). It is really quite interesting how mangoma used to spread in Dar in those days. And to complicate the matter, most of the songs we didn't even know who the artists are (unakumbuka "nipe kesi ya soda" – can't you see I am so trapped!!)
Some folks (madingi) did help with sourcing music from abroad. For example, Mzee Warioba (that is right, the honorary Judge himself!) provided us with a lot of reggae music, especially when he was working in Jamaica. Mutabaruka songs were probably through his supply chain. But the most interesting group of all when it cames to sourcing music from abroad, were the stowaways (mabaharia). Hawa jamaa walikuwa the major source of madebe (miziki). In order to be up-to-date music wise, you had to have a close friend who was either related to a seaman or who knew someone that had a brother who was a seaman. Or something like that! Contribution ya mabaharia haikuishia kwenye mangoma tuu. Hawa jamaa ndio walio kuwa wakileta fashion mjini na staili mpya za kuruka majoka (dance style), maana wakati huo hakukua na MTV. Ndio maana in those day, most people used to dream of stowaway. Nakumbuka vividly maandishi kwenye ukuta wa darasani ukisema "Sea never dries, one day mzingani"(Hapa Msingani inamaanisha kwenye meli).
I, therefore, take my hat-off kwa walio zamia meli.
