Rajab Suleiman & Kithara - Hisia Za Muungwana

Performance 1 july 2017 Rajab Suleiman learned to play the Oriental Kanun Harp in the famous Culture Musical Club, one of Zanzibar’s most influential taarab orchestras (at AF Hertme in 2009 with Bi Kidude). Its location in the Indian Ocean on the ancient trade routes of Arabs and Indians along the east coast of Africa made Zanzibar the epicenter of Islamic Swahili culture. Suleiman founded his own taarab orchestra, Kithara, and succeeded in introducing the young singer Saada Nassor to the orchestra. This is taarab (Arabic for “joy through music) in its original poetic beauty, with beautiful voices, showing with their widespread ornaments the close ties with their Arab roots. Hard ’Electro-Taarab’ is now everywhere through the streets of the island, but the traditional acoustic style is still played at weddings and belongs to a group like Kithara. Rajab Suleiman - kanun, band leader Saada Nassor - lead singer Karama Abdallah - bass guitar, background song Foum Faki - tabla