John Kitime

Kitime is a respected figure in the Tanzanian music scene–a musician, guitarist, columnist –known for his knowledge of Tanzanian
music history and his commitment to preserving the traditional sounds of Tanzanian music and making it widely accessible.

Kitime has been involved in the music industry for over 50 years, performing with some of the prominent Tanzania bands including
Orchestra Mambo Bado, Orchestra Makassy, Tancut Almasi Orchestra, Vijana Jazz, and the Kilimanjaro band. He has also toured
in Germany, the UK, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, United States and India.

In 2016 he was a central character in a documentary film, Wahenga (2016), about the history of the Tanzanian music scene in the 1970s.
He has acted in a number of Tanzanian films, including "Kutakapokucha" (2005) and "Gitaa Langu" (2007), and Petu na Galu (2015)
and a TV Series, Rebacca (2018).

In addition to his music career, Kitime has also been active in the arts and culture scene in Tanzania. He was a member of the
Iringa Region Arts Council, the Chairman of CHAMUDATA (Tanzania Dance Musicians Association), a member of the
Board of the National Arts Council (BASATA) and of the Copyright Society of Tanzania. He has also organized numerous music
concerts and workshops. He is also a regular contributor to the Tanzanian newspapers Mwananchi and Risasi writing extensively a
bout Tanzanian music.

He is currently a member of Nafasi Art Space, a contemporary art space in Tanzania, where he is working to establish a music archive
focused on Tanzanian music, especially recorded before the 2000s.