Taarab

A music genre popular in Tanzania and Kenya. It is influenced by the musical traditions of the East African Rift, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Taarab is an Arabic word meaning “having joy with music.” Taarab music is a fusion of pre-Islamic Swahili tunes sung in rhythmic poetic style, spiced with Arab-style melodies. It is an extremely lively art form and immensely popular, especially with women, drawing all the time on old and new sources. Taarab forms a major part of the social life of the Swahili people along the coastal areas, especially in Zanzibar, Tanga, and even further away in Mombasa and Malindi along the Kenya coast. The music has morphed recently into dance music with occasionally explicit lyrics. 1928–    .