Bongo Flava
No, it's got nothing to do with bongo drums... Bongo flava is the hip hop-based music coming out of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, East Africa. In this week's show, 2 hours of nonstop Bongo flava hits.
Bongo flava's main touchpoints are American hip hop and R'n'B, mixed in with influences including traditional East African music, Afropop, in some cases Jamaican dancehall, and even Indian music. The name of the scene comes from the Swahili word "bongo", meaning "brains". The word has long been used by Tanzanians as slang for the city of Dar es Salaam, in reference to the "brains" needed to survive in the country's most populous urban environment.
JUKEBOX: Friday Ripple 8.1.2010The lyrics are mostly in Swahili, and the scene's rappers are known for avoiding the gangsta posturing that afflicts most of the world's hip hop, in favour of social commentary. (You'll notice a refreshing absence of "bling" in most Bongo flava videos). That said, Dully Sykes - the most mainstream artist featured here - is also the most controversial, due to his often sexually explicit lyrics in what is a predominately Muslim culture.
Other highlights of the show include three cuts from rapper Juma Nature, whose smooth flow over breakbeats and acoustic guitar loops make him among the most instantly-recognisable of the scene's stars. There are also two tracks from of a group who, strictly speaking, aren't Bongo flava at all - X Plastaz, a Massai hip hop crew from Northern Tanzania.
There's only one Bongo flava album on sale in Europe: the 2004 compilation Bongo Flava: Swahili Rap from Tanzania, which is a great introduction to the sound. Want to know more about Bongo Flava? Check out this video of groundbreaking producer PFunk describing what the music means to him. Then, head over to the Radio Wave Jukebox for the Friday Ripple Bongo flava mix.
Here's the 8.1.2010 playlist in full:
Juma Nature feat. Professor Jay - Umoja Wa Tanzania (Out Here Records)
J Moo - Maisha Ya Boarding (Bongo Records)
A.Y ft. Mwana fa & Ray C - Safi Hiyo (Bongo Records)
Dully Sykes - Leah (Dhahabu Records)
Abby Skills feat. Dully Sykes - Nakupenda (G Record)
G Plat feat. Juma Nature - Wanaogopa (Bongo Records)
Inspector Haroun - Bye Bye (Bongo Records)
Gangwe Mob - Mtoto Wa Geti Kali (Bongo Records)
Noorah feat. Dataz - Mapenzi Sinema (Bongo Records)
X -Plastaz - Dunia Dudumizi (Out Here Records)
Fortune Tellers (from X-Plastaz) - Kusanyikeni (Out Here Records)
Ferouz feat. Maunda Zorro - Police Man (Bongo Records)
Daz Nundaz - Maji Ya Shingo (Rmx) (Out Here Records)
Sista P - Anakuja (Out Here Records)
Dully Sykes - Tamika (Dhahabu Records)
Juma Nature - Ugali (Bongo Records)
Juma Nature - Salio La Verse (Bongo Records)
Daz Mwalimu ft. Mangwea - Wife (Bongo Records)
Dudu Baya ft. Hamidu Vitara - Mimi Mpangaji (Bongo Records)
Kali P - Tumbojoto (Bongo Records)
Afande Sele - Mtazamo (Out Here Records)
Dully Sykes - Hi (Dhahabu Records)
K Salum - Mkiwa (Bongo Records)
