Wamwiduka Band — MIDEM African Forum, Dar es Salaam, 2020

A Tanzanian band formed in 2012 in the Mbeya region, in the heart of the country’s southern highlands, the Wamwiduka Band develops a vibrant traditional music nicknamed “babatone,” which it marries with urban influences. This live session, filmed on 30 August 2020 at the Nafasi Art Space in Dar es Salaam for the MIDEM African Forum devoted to East Africa, offers a fine showcase for their singular world. A warm live recording, the video highlights a largely handcrafted instrumentarium: a hand-made string guitar, drums, a deep-toned marimba, percussion and a bass imitating the sound of a traditional banjo. The result is a music deeply rooted in Safwa culture, carried by choruses and infectious rhythms, at once festive and a bearer of memory. Within the MIDEM professional forum, which spotlights African scenes, this showcase reveals the richness of a living tradition still little exposed internationally. An ideal live concert for lovers of world music, authentic African sounds and new discoveries.