DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has expressed commitment to promote and protect Singeli music, saying listing it as part of the world cultural heritage will help to promote Kiswahili language and cultural tourism.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Gerson Msigwa, made the commitment in Dar es Salaam on Monday, while officiating an intangible cultural heritage nomination workshop to safeguard Singeli Music.
Msigwa said in recent years, Singeli has turned from being entertainment music to edutainment, adding that researchers in the sector had done in-depth research and had realised that Singeli was not played anywhere else in the world, a situation that makes it an ideal element to be nominated in the UNESCO’s world heritage.
“Singeli music has been an attraction and originates from the coastal regions. The music has created employment especially to the youth and at the moment, its content has evolved from entertaining to edutainment to create morals.
“The government has accepted that this should be one of the elements in the UNESCO list, because it will help to promote Kiswahili language and cultural tourism,” said Msigwa.
In another move, Msigwa utilised the platform to clarify over reservations by some Tanzanians over the language used in some of the Singeli songs, saying the government was keen and had come with a guideline that will regulate the conduct of all music in different genres, not only Singeli but other genre.
“We cannot fault the whole Singeli music just because one particular song has bad content or indecent videos, but what is required is to regulate and provide a guideline that will ensure that the content adheres to the Tanzanian traditional customs and norms,” said Msigwa. He was quick to add however, that his ministry is keen and whenever they find bad content that goes against the Tanzanian traditional customs, they will pull it down from the public domain.
For his part, Michel Toto, the UNESCO Country Representative said every corner of Tanzania holds a story, a rhythm and a tradition that breathes life into its communities.
“Singeli music is one of those powerful stories, one that deserves to be celebrated, protected and preserved. The music continues to unite young people, women and men in the past and present.
Cultural heritage lives in people who value and preserve it, said the UNESCO representative.
A renowned Singeli musician popularly known as Msaga Sumu thanked the government for its efforts to preserve the genre.
Msaga Sumu who began by chanting his ‘Shemeji’ hit, said he was grateful as they had been singing for quite sometimes but were not aware that one day their work would go global.
Singeli is more than just music, as it is a living cultural heritage that reflects Tanzanian resilience, innovation and spirit.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional Office for East Africa and the UNESCO Dar es Salaam office is hosting a two-day workshop, whose goal is to strengthen national capacity for preparing nomination files for UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with a special focus on Singeli music.
The session brings together ministry officials from Zanzibar, Mainland, Singeli musicians, cultural officers at the ministry and national level, community members as well as CSOs.
The word Singeli originates from a dancer who is called Kisengeli whose style gained popularity among musicians where eventually, its musicians omitted ‘Ki’ and called it Singeli as using ‘Ki’ in Kiswahili would have decimated its value.
