Bado’s modern Taarab from Coastal Kenya

Posted December 15th, 2015 at 12:21 pm (UTC-4)
2 comments

Taarab is a Swahili style of traditional music generally associated with Tanzania and Zanzibar.  Coastal Kenya is rocking it today, though. Back in September when I was in Nairobi I had the pleasure of meeting Bado. His real name is Mohammed Said Ngana and he’s from Kilifi County, Malindi District, in the central part of coastal Kenya.

The following session was filmed in the basement practice room of Alliance Francaise. Bado performs and talks about three of his songs, “Pararira” (“Joyful Sounds”), “Jogoo La Ruhe” (“The White Cock”) and “Mzungu Giriama” (“The White Giriama”).

 

Thanks to the Ketebul Music team for local arrangements and filming this interview and to Alliance Francaise de Nairobi. I have more to share from Nairobi in the  coming months including sessions with Makadem, Kidum, Idd Aziz, and the all-female a capella group, The Flower Project.

Heather Maxwell
Heather Maxwell produces and hosts the award winning radio program "Music Time in Africa" and is the African Music Editor for the Voice of America. Heather is an ethnomusicologist with a Ph.D. from Indiana University specializing in African Music. She is also an accomplished jazz and Afrojazz/Afrosoul vocalist and has been working, researching, and performing in Africa and the U.S. since 1987.

2 responses to “Bado’s modern Taarab from Coastal Kenya”

  1. KEB says:

    Hi Heather, how do we get a hold of you, got some interesting content from Botswana,

About

About

Heather Maxwell produces and hosts the award-winning radio program “Music Time in Africa” and is the African Music Editor for the Voice of America. Heather is an ethnomusicologist with Doctorate and Master’s degrees from Indiana University specializing in African Music. She is also an accomplished jazz and Afrojazz/Afrosoul vocalist and has been working, researching, and performing in Africa and the U.S. since 1987.

The Leo Sarkisian African Music Collection >>

Latest Selection

Sidebar Playlist

Listen to Archived Music from 2007-2013