An article by Freddy Macha that was published in The Tanzanian Guardian, Dar es Salaam. It is one of Freddy's regular 'Letter from London' columns, published on 16th December 2003

Tanzanian Independence Day Abroad
“Uhuru Day” for Tanzanians abroad, especially London may not be that of a big issue. At least in the few years I have lived here. 9th of December, for the majority just comes and goes unnoticed. But this year it was different.
An African DJ of the popular black music station London radio, CHOICE FM, invited me to be part of his programme on Tanzanian history. Uncle Sam, as he is known here, usually plays African music on Sunday nights. The programme is liked because of the choice of good music from practically every corner of Africa.
Sam Tsipotey began working as an accountant in CHOICE FM in 1991. He got the radio slot in May 2000 and by May this year had managed to get the prime time of Sunday night, between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. An ideal time to get most listeners who are at home.

In an article by Kwaku K published in Gargamel, The International Word in Reggae & Urban Music Issue 15, Autumn 2003, Sam is quoted as saying: “African music is more closely related culturally than I used to think. The basic underlying rhythms are quite similar to the trained ear.” Kwaku quotes him saying he believes his show is opening up African music to a wider market. “I try to play from as many different areas of the continent as my collection and time can allow in order to broaden the appeal of the music. Everyone is bound to hear something they would like, I just want to make the show a complete one, in the sense that by the end of it, you'd have learned something new about Africa.”

Readers back home, you have to remember that African music is passing through a bad season. Not much of it is heard in mainstream television or radio abroad. Many African musicians in London for instance, are forced to do other jobs to survive. Some of these musicians used to play every night 7 days a week back home. In Europe they become “guards” at supermarkets, taxi-drivers or even menial labourers. I have been in Britain since 1996 and in my life here, have only witnessed one regular television programme which focused solely on African music.

But as we hear Salum Abdullah’s music, the two hour programme, has the task of going through the coming on Germans. Carl Peters who passed around tricking Chiefs in Tanganyika to sign “agreements” to annex their lands to German companies. Carl Peters work was helpful in peparing “spheres of influence” and by the time the Berlin Conference happened in 1884 chaired by Emperor Otto Von Bismarck, Europe was ready to “Scramble for Africa.”
The next few minutes sees one of the most bloody periods of Tanganyika history. Ironically, Uncle Sam has Mbaraka Mwinyeshehe’s music to play. Ironical, because Mbaraka died bleeding in Mombasa back in 1978. Sam does not know Mbaraka died from the loss of blood in Kenya. Yet he has intuitively chose to play tracks from the great Mwinyishehe. I knew the man while studying at Mzumbe Secondary School back in 1973. His Morogoro Jazz would come to play at our school parties. The first time I was on stage with my school band “The Earthquakes” we used Mbaraka’s instruments. He had no qualms about giving those instruments to novices like myself. I don’t recall playing anything brilliant. In fact, I made a fool of myself, trying to “show to the girls” that I also was a musician. Time to laugh.

Sam’s programme in a known station such as CHOICE FM then is helping boost this music. On many of websites related to Uncle Sam, including his own site, there is a link to the only African musicians website in the UK: http://www.africanmusiciansprofiles.com, which is run by a lady called Anne Wanjie. Mrs. Wanjie although English has a family with a Kenyan national and speaks a bit of Kiswahili.

But the man from Ghana not only ends with African music. Through sheer initiative, as is the trait and character of most West Africans, he has managed to include an informative aspect to his show. On every African Independence Day he discusses, while playing music as well, the history of that country. He calls it “History through Entertainment.” When possible he also invites a national of the said country, who of course should know his/her history well, to help in with the light but educational show. It is in such a show I was part of last Sunday’s show to help celebrate Tanzania’s Uhuru day on Tuesday 9th of December.

Reflect on another thing about living abroad: You are a mere dot in the lives of many other people from all over the world. Also in a society where the majority of the population is white, a day such as the 9th of December means “nothing.” It won’t even get a mention in the local international news. What Sam does is dedicate two hours of his three hour music show to a country in question. Two hours for a mainstream programme is plenty of time for an African show in Europe.

It is not my first time to be on Sam Tsipotey’s exposé, though. In January, he invited me to speak about my music and travels. Although my presence was brief, I got a glimpse of how the man works. His choice of music ranges from the most exuberant Congolese “Ndombolo” to the ballads of the Maghreb people in Western Sahara.
As I arrive, tonight, the man is cheerful as usual. Besides Uncle Sam himself, Anne Wanjie of the “African Musicians Profiles Website” is in the studio as well as two other young African ladies. The two ladies were born in Britain. One of them, Asi Munisi, whose parents hail from Moshi, know hardly any Kiswahili, but as the night proceeds, she expresses the wish to become my student, eventually. Like some Tanzanians abroad, I teach Kiswahili privately, and over the years have become quite proficient at it. When I first started teaching back in the 80’s, it was hard. Speaking your own language doesn’t mean you know it well. Let alone, making it clear to another person through grammar and so on. For instance, how many Kiswahili speakers back home know that the language is made up of seven classes. And what are “classes” anyway?
That is a totally different topic matter at the moment, as I watch Munisi, reading some stories with a typical English accent that many Tanzanians born in Britain have. As I always said, 90% of these children born abroad, do not know a single Swahili word. Not even the courtesies, like Shikamoo, Kwa heri etc… Most of them always end up blaming their parents who, like many Africans do not see the value of pushing and enforcing learning languages from home. I personally know it is a difficult task, as I have to work hard speaking Kiswahili to my own children. Children who are surrounded by other kids who do not speak Kiswahili. Harder even to force my own country folks to speak Kiswahili when they visit my house.
Take this scenario. A fellow Tanzanian arrives. After greetings in Kiswahili with me, the children rush and start with “Shikamoo”
The visitor is surprised. “Marahaba! So you can speak Kiswahili?”
After a few attempts, the visitor switches to speaking English with the kids. “Speak Kiswahili to them” I would keep on saying to my guest. Soon it becomes futile, as you might expect, kids born abroad, cannot speak as fast as those back home. The visitor soon looses patience, as he is not used to “speak slowly and clearly” to the unused. He switches back to English. And that is the problem.

Tanzanians and Kiswahili speakers have to learn from other races. Children will not comprehend if we do not teach them, if we are not patient with them. Go to a Turkish, Arab, Indian, Brazilian household etc. However much the kids speak English, the native speaking parent or relative will still re-enforce their own language. I have heard some colleague Africans remarking that speaking their own languages to their kids will make them “confused.” “I can’t be speaking my own African language. In school they are supposed to learn good English.” But how do Somalis and Ethiopians, who are the few Africans who manage to keep their own cultures abroad do it? Persistence. The fact is, it is easier for children to speak and learn multiple languages than adults.
The other day I was told something interesting by a visitor from home. She told me: “I want to practise my English with your children”. I think laughter is the best medicine here.
And this is one of the strands of Tanzanian independence.
The fact that we nationals have to push on with various aspects of our culture, i.e. the lingual heritage. And the fact that Kiswahili is the seventh fastest growing language in the world.

As I go through the preparations of tonight’s programme with Uncle Sam, I soon realise he has done good research. Sam kicks off by saying the cradle of humankind was found in Tanganyika. Zinjathropus. To start the show the music of Hukwe Zawose introduces the country. I don’t know how many Tanzanians realise how much Zawose is revered and respected abroad. The man’s music is played everywhere. I have heard his melodious voice and marimba in countless television programmes, from Germany, Brazil to Canada.
Know your History. The migrations of Bantu people from as far places as South Africa, through the coming of Arab traders into the East coast to Vasco da Gama, “accidentally” landing here in 1498. “The Portuguese did not stay. Vasco da Gama went to India, and in place, Arabs settled themselves in East Africa. They helped with the Slave Trade, through traders like Tip Tippu.”
Here we discuss Slavery. Bagamoyo, which Sam already knows comes from “bwaga-moyo” which is to throw or rest your heart. Bagamoyo the slave transit to Zanzibar where the big market was, those days.