Bongo Flava grows wing as Harmonize surfs with sax virtuosi

DAR ES SALAAM: HEARING a clean sound of alto saxophone flavouring popular hits of Tanzania’s Bongo Flava, has become unusually common nowadays and that is crystal clear that music has grown wings and fully matured for the global conquest.

Hearing again the sound of saxophone, though in less improvised manner, brings back a fresh memory of the late 1970s when saxophonetrumpet interplay dominated the Tanzanian dance music acts to the extent it was labelled ‘Kiboko ya Nduli’ for its role in condemning Iddi Amin invasion in 1978.

Luiza Elias John who starred in Mwenge Jazz horn section, Ally Moshi Mpomwa who was bowing blue note sax for JKT Kimbunga, Vijana Jazz had brought on stage Abdallah Kimeza who pared with Hussein Stima while Twahir Mohamed’s alto sax added a dimension to the sweetness of King Kiki’s composition; Mtoto wa Mjini produced by Orchestra Sound.

With the exception of Akulyake Saleh ‘King Maluu’, a sax virtuoso who has been active since the mid1970s, none of the present-day artists was alive to witness the era of saxophone craze, therefore seeing likes of Diamond, Harmonize, Mbosso or Zuchu cherishing it today, five decades later, looks a bit baffling. All these four artists reign as the megastar’s stars of Bongo Flava with a huge global appeal.

To music enthusiasts, the presence of saxophones in the Bongo Flava music is clear evidence that the instrument has not been left out completely in the modern music that relies heavily on electronic synthesis and digital processing, the brass or woodwind instruments are clearly heard in many Bongo Flava hits today.

All Bongo Flava megastars; Diamond Platnumz, Harmonize, Ray Vanny, Zuchu, in some of their recordings, have used saxophone sounds to shape up their hits now widely enjoyed by Bongo Flava fans despite the fact that their digitalised music is government by synthesisers, MIDI and computer-generated samples. In most of the songs, most notably Aiyola by Harmonize or Number One by Diamond, sax or trumpet can be heard in that the emotive, slow-to-mid-tempo feel sounds since the keyboard can’t produce them.

For the music of the new generation, high pitched instruments like trumpet (with six octaves) or alto saxophone, a modern vocal-heavy pop mixing, blaring horns can often overpower the lead singer’s frequency. In Bongo Flava, saxophone sections are mostly handled by specialised session musicians and live bands, rather than being exclusive to a single artist.

The most prominent saxophonist performing with major stars like Diamond Platnumz is G-Saxx (who plays on Diamond’s official Wasafi band Instagram) and veteran session player Saleh King Maluu. While there are many background brass musicians across the Tanzanian industry, a few stand out: G-Saxx: A long-term fixture of the Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) band, touring regularly and providing the live brass arrangements for Diamond Platnumz Instagram.

Saleh King Maluu: A celebrated veteran of the Tanzanian music scene who has contributed sweet alto saxophone tracks for major hits and occasionally serves as a session player.

Though unknown, musicians like Mesax TikTok, Fatime Songoro (Beyond Music) and Ian Mwamba (Instagram) frequently lend their talents to various East African contemporary and Afropop recordings.

Both Diamond and Harmonize are among the top African musicians widely recognized in the world music sphere, and have continued waxing stronger. The global level reviewers of his early career name Moyo Wangu from ‘Lala Salama’album and Later Number as his eponymous hits that made a huge appeal globally. Point blank, the multinational viewers claim Diamond’s eponymous hits; Moyo Wangu, Number One and Nataka Kulewa, made him the continent’s megastar.

“This is the song that changed the game in East Africa,” @crazyworld1742 wrote on Moyo Wangu: “I am a South African but these guys are my number one, siyabonga (means thank you) you’re the best,” wrote @cybercentre8661 on Number One remix. Zimbabwe’s Isaac Mugomba wrote: “Moyo wangu watching from zimbabwe 2021 moyo wangu means my heart in Shona language.”

“I did not know the song until two days back when I heard it playing from my local radio station here in South Africa, it’s a Heat and I was surprised to find out it is 8 years old. Guys you rock, this is a Heat,” commented @nenettemampuli5975 on Number One “Saxophone in the beginning, King Maloo. He killed,” said one of his East African fans.@ marcelhesse6387 wrote on Number One,” I am from Germany. I was in Kenya at this time and loved this song.”

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Also worth to consider is the Cuban viewer @pastacastaneda6614 who wrote: “Me gusta mucho…la musica…pero esto es bello soy cubana y amo a los africanos that can be simply translated as I like the music a lot… but this is beautiful I’m Cuban and I love Africans.

”Whether Diamond knows it or not, letting Akulyake Saleh King Maluu dictate terms with his suave sound of alto saxophone as depicted through Moyo Wangu and Number One, created what it could suit as throwback to Jive Kwela era, a township music genre that spoke of joy and sorrow the South African faced under the Apartheid regime.

It is unknown how Diamond could take a leaf from American Paul Desmond who served as alto saxophonist in Dave Brubeck band, has been the biggest influence to practitioners of Jive Kwela horn that Diamond fused in both Moyo Wangi and Number One.

Like Diamond, horn instrument accompanied Harmonize’ debut single, Aiyola which he penned after signing with WCB Wasafi. Harmonize seems to have fully embraced the sax in his biggest Bongo Flava hits such as “Single Again,” “Nitaubeba” and “Leo” are predominantly recorded by Tanzanian and East African session saxophonists.

For live covers and studio sessions of Harmonize’s songs, the most notable musicians include: Eme Sax TZ (Mwesigwa Eddy): A celebrated East African afrobeat saxophonist widely known for playing and producing widely shared saxophone covers of Harmonize’s hits on platforms like Eme Sax Tz TikTok. Bigsam Sax.

A talented Dar es Salaam-based saxophonist who frequently releases popular Bongo Flava sax covers of Harmonize tracks. In Bongo Flava, horn and woodwind melodies are often digitally arranged using virtual instruments or played by hired session horn players during production. If you are looking to learn how to play or replicate these Bongo Flava saxophone melodies.

Mathew Sabuni Hozza, trumpet virtuoso who played for JKT Kimbunga and Tanzania All Stars fame, said the horn blowing in Tanzania is deep rooted in jazz and afro Cuban jazz, but Germans left something in Lushoto, his birthplace.

“There are many horn players who learned the art of blowing from the Protestant Church of Lushoto,” he said while leading his fanfare group; Mount Usambara Sound. “Usambara area has produced a good number of horn players,” said Comson Mkomwa and Abdallah Tuba, who played for a number of bands as horn players influenced by the Germanic Church of Usambara. He says itis sad that saxophone has lost prominence as it is no longer in the veins of the new generation.

“Fanfare groups are the institutions that value trumpeters, saxophonists and trombonists today, “Hozza told the writer.