Live from Dar es Salaam

Popular Music and Tanzania's Music Economy

By Alex Perullo
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Indiana University Press, 2011

ISBN 978-0-253-22292-3

496 Pages

Summary

When socialism collapsed in Tanzania in 1994, the government-controlled music industry gave way to a vibrant independent music scene. Alex Perullo explores the world of the bands, music distributors, managers, and clubs that attest to the lively and creative music industry in Dar es Salaam. Perullo examines the formation of this fully charged music economy considering the means of musical production, distribution, protection, broadcasting, and performance. He exposes both legal and illegal strategies for creating business opportunities as entrepreneurs battle government restrictions and give flight to their musical aspirations. This is a singular look into the full span of the complex music landscape in one of Africa’s most dynamic cities.

Contents

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on Names and Interviews
Video Clips in the EVIA Digital Archive
1. Kumekucha (It is Daylight/ Times Have Changed)
2. Shall We Mdundiko or Tango?: Tanzania’s Music Economy, 1920-1984
3. Live in Bongoland
4. The Submerged Body
5. Radio Revolution
6. Analog, Digital . . . Knobs, Buttons
7. Legend of the Pirates
8. Everything is Life
Appendices:
A: Descriptions of Tanzanian Genres of Music
B: List of Tanzanian Radio and Television Stations
C: Clubs with Live Shows in Dar es Salaam
D: List of Tanzanian Promoters Organized by City

Notes
References
Discography
Index

Biography

Alex Perullo is Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and African Studies at Bryant University. He has published in Africa Today, Popular Music and Society, Ethnomusicology, and several edited volumes.

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