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Hip hop music has grown increasingly popular in Tanzania over the last ten years. Though the first generation of Tanzanian hip hop performers were modelled closely on American rappers, more recently some have begun to mix hip hop with native dance music, muziki wa dansi, taarab, Indianfilmi and other styles; this fusion is sometimes called Bongo Flava. The first Tanzanian crew was Kwanza Unit, while the first mainstream hit was Mr. II's (then he recorded and performed under the name 2-Proud) "Ni Mimi" (1995). Other early group, Hard Blasters released their popular "Chemsha Bongo" hit in 2000. One member of the group, Professor Jay, is today a very famous solo MC. Gangwe Mobb were another notable group. Modern groups like X Plastaz ("Bamiza", 1998) have led the way for Bongo Flava by using unique styles derived from popular music and Masai vocals, as well as Swahili lyrics. Some musicians specialize in R&B, including Lady Jaydee and TID. Other modern performers include Juma Nature and Dully Sykes, both have a distinguishive style of singing.
Most of the famous artists come from Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, but there are exceptions, such as Wagosi wa Kaya from Tanga and X Plastaz from Arusha.
External links
Bongo Flava (Swahili / English, Tanzanian Hip Hop Fusion Online)
Bongo Flava is uniquely Tanzanian, some of its content may be compared to other genres. Bongo flava expresses originality and often time it is sang in beautiful Swahili language spoken in most East African countries.
