Kenyans love Bongo Flava. Our airwaves, TV music shows, local shops and even promotional roadshows play a good amount of Bongo music. And what’s not to love about these Tanzanian songs? The beats are ...

Tanzanian juggernaut Harmonize is gearing up for global domination. Having rubbed shoulders with huge West African stars such as Nigeria’s Burna Boy (a former NME cover star) and Mr Eazi, the ...

Dar es Salaam. The release of the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations has reignited a familiar discussion within the Bongo Flava scene: why Tanzanian artistes continue to miss out on global recognition ...

In the States, Vanessa Mdee’s brief appearance in a hotel lobby might not ring any bells, but step into a hotel lobby in Stone Town, Zanzibar, and you’ll hear bells, whistles and blow horns. “She is ...

Tanzanian hip hop emerged in the late 80s, and by the late 90s was being labeled: Bongo Flava. As this new genre went in the direction of pop and incorporated rap and R&B there continued to be ...

That’s a word you hear a lot when traveling in East Africa. Jambo is “hello” in Swahili, and became part of everyday discourse during a recent two-week trip around northern Tanzania and Zanzibar.

A Tanzanian musical style, known as Bongo Flava, is now becoming popular across Africa. It started in the early 1990s as a Tanzanian version of hip hop and R&B, but back then most artists were not ...

BONGO Flava artistry now enjoys a global appeal after finding a key to American Rhythm and Blues, most importantly the mastery of its syncopating phraseology. It is mission accomplished for Bongo ...

Vanessa Mdee, the celebrated Tanzanian singer and songwriter, has always been known for her soulful voice and inspirational lyrics. However, her recent revelations about the music industry have ...