Zanzibari music academy to hold drumming workshop for women

The workshop seeks to encourage young women at the academy to put aside all reservations and consider becoming drummers. Participants will collaborate and fuse Gogo, kidumbaki and taarab music to enhance awareness and knowledge of the genres while reinforcing fundamentals and improving overall skill levels in a collaborative environment.

DCMA artistic director and music teacher Hassan Mahenge told Music In Africa that drumming has been traditionally considered a male vocation and his department saw it fit to introduce more women to the field.

"Our vision at DCMA for the workshop is to provide quality instruction and support for women and girls to propel their skills and mentor those students who express a desire to go on to a professional career in drums," he said.

"There are very few women who play the traditional drums in the country. In bands, women are either featured as singers or dancers. But at the DCMA we want women to take charge by playing a variety of instruments and lead bands. The school has an all-female band that plays different genres of music." 

Mahenge said emerging musicians should be allowed to experiment with music. "Every tribe has got different styles of rhythms, tone quality and tonality. As musicians, we are encouraged to create new sounds for the listeners, and the best way to do this is by fusing different sounds," he said.

Gogo music comes from the tribe of the same name in Tanzania’s central region. The Gogo are admired for their vocal polyphonies while their instrumental repertoires and dance routines illustrate originality, complexity and musical refinement. One of the most striking features of Gogo culture is the muheme dance, where the accompanying drums are played by women.

Tabu Zawose comes from the legendary Zawose music family in Bagamoyo, which has achieved local and international success. Famous Zawose members are Msafiri, SinaUbi and the late Hukwe, who popularised the genre and the zeze instrument.

Speaking ahead of the workshop, Tabu Zawose said: "In addition to taking it to the professional level and earning an income, drumming on an amateur level can be a source of exercise and a great stress reliever as a form of mental exercise."

The percussion workshop is part of the DCMA's artist development programme launched in July.