Tanzania and Zanzibar have their local celebrities, and one of the most loved is the singer Bi Kidude.
She passed away a couple of years ago, when she was over 100 years old, and still Bi Kidude is impressed in the Tanzanians’ memory as one of the most unforgettable music artists that this country ever had.
Born in the village of Mfagimaringo, she was the daughter of a coconut seller in the colonial Zanzibar. There are not precise information about her life as she was young, so that she became a legend. She is considered the undisputed queen of Taarab and Unyago music, and experts of ancient ritual.
The very bad lack is that there is no any published book documenting her life apart from the known video documentary "As old as my Tongue -The Myth and Life of Bi Kidude" by director Andy Jones.
Even though, whoever had the chance of seeing her on the stage keeps a special memory of this little woman with an extraordinary way of communicating through the music. Her fame has been widely acknowledged throughout the local Zanzibari.
But also the Zanzibari tourism community keeps memory of her: the luxury hotel on the island, '236 Hurumzi', named their restaurant 'Kidude' in her honour.
No comments:
Post a Comment