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September 2009: The rich native "literature"
of Tanzania is in danger of being abandoned. In
more developed regions like that around Dar es
Salaam, the drumbeat of the traditional ngoma,
along with its accompanying barefoot dance of
the same name, is disappearing. The msewe,
a percussion-enhancing ankle garment worn by dancers,
is nearly obsolete. Only in small villages do
women still piga vigelegele, or flutter
their tongues to produce the shrill, undulating
sound associated with old African traditions.
These customs are being tossed aside in favor
of Western culture-the perceived culture of wealth,
of development. As European and American businesses
amplify Tanzania's economy through tourism and
television, their traditions and customs penetrate
its culture.
As the international exchange
of ideas and cultures expands to include East
Africa, Tanzania risks accepting the already created
canons of a foreign culture instead of adding
an authentic voice to the chorus of written literature.
Currently, there are few Tanzanian novelists and
playwrights, and even fewer poets. Those who have
achieved critical and popular success have achieved
it abroad, by expatriating to Western countries
and writing in foreign languages. Tanzanian writers
loyal to their homeland and mother tongue, such
as Zainab M. Mwanga, author of Kiu ya Haki
("Thirst for Justice"), and
Amandina Lihamba, the playwright responsible for
Hawala ya Fedha ("The Money
Order"), have limited publicity, recognized
by few, even in Tanzania. But their work is powerful:
it captures the condition of post-colonial Tanzania,
and has the ability to introduce this culture
to the world.
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to Index of Despatches | Back to the Table of Contents for Number 2
About our Correspondent
Laura Mueller, a native of New Jersey, graduated
from Boston College in 2007. She now lives in
rural Tanzania and works as a secondary school
math and physics teacher.
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