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Unravelling mysteries behind Tanzanian acrobatic

MEET the dynamic duo of gravity-defying insanity, the R a m a d h a n i Brothers – Fadhili Rashidi and Ibrahim Jobu – straight out of Dar es Salaam. Biographies of these acrobatic wonders read like a folk tale, leaving audiences questioning the laws of physics and, let us be honest, their life choices.

So, let us rewind to September 2022, where these Tanzanian acrobatic titans first strutted their stuff on Australia’s Got Talent. There, not only did they grab their first Golden Buzzer, but they also finished second in the competition. It is like they were saying, “Down Under, prepare for the acrobatic storm from Tanzania!”

But the Ramadhani Brothers did not stop there. They jetted off to Paris, the city of love, for La France a-unincroyable Talent. A French version of Got Talent. Their acrobatic finesse took them to the finals, leaving the audience wondering if French fries can be juggled with the same flair.

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Now, fast forward to the scariest, most dangerous act ever witnessed in America’s Got Talent history, as proclaimed by one of its judges, Howie Mandel. The brothers clinched fifth place, making them the first African acrobats to break AGT barriers and grace the finals. Next was The Italian edition of Got Talent, Tu Si Que Vales, who witnessed these acrobatic maestros earning a whopping 97 per cent, propelling them to the semi-finals.

And did I mention they took home a shiny silver medal from the international Circus festival in Grenoble, France? Because they did. Now, picture the brothers in Germany, Das Super Talent, receiving a standing ovation and four resounding yeses from judges. Straight to the finals, no less.

They are not just Tanzanian; they are the darlings of Deutschland! And just when you think they have done it all, they dive into the world of AGT Fantasy League, landing not one, not two, but their third golden buzzer from Howie Mandel himself. In the finals, they outshone Drumpack from the USA, claiming victory, a trophy, and $250,000. The best in the world?

You bet! And let us not forget, they did it all defying gravity one flip at a time, all with a smile, proving that when it comes to talent, Tanzania takes the gold! They became not only the first act from Tanzania or Africa to ever win in America’s Got Talent. They are also the fourth non-American act to be crowned winners and the first Africans in history to win in America’s Got Talent.

Also, they are the first ground Acrobatic act in the history of the competition to win in America. These guys are also the only act worldwide to receive 3 golden buzzers in 3 different countries. They are the only act to accomplish this milestone. With Mama herself having tweeted congratulations, the duo’s miraculous win is no small feat.

Mama’s tweet catapulted the Ramadhani Brothers into the stratosphere of national heroes, leaving the country abuzz like a hive of excited bees. And why not? Mama, our jubilant President, probably has not had this much joy since her starring role in the Loyal Tour extravaganza.

Ever since she starred in the mega successful Loyal Tour two years ago, this was the first time Tanzania was on the global spotlight – again! The whole world is now talking Tanzania, a clear sign that the number of visitors will increase. Sadly, since the premiere of Mama’s film in Hollywood back then, attempts to make a serious follow-up on the project seem to be below sea level. I mean, it should have been something like taking the baton from Mama’s hands and sprint towards a new original idea to complement her historical efforts. Oh sorry, I was carried away.

That is a topic for another day. Today, let us get back to our two overnight millionaires, who arrived on Friday aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, to a tumultuous red carpet KARIBU. As our undercover sleuths lurked in the shadows, sniffing here and there as they eagerly awaited the superheroes, they were drawn to the taxi stand. Here, the drivers, and a crowd of onlookers also waiting for the two brothers, were swapping a myriad of questions. Firstly, they demanded to know where in Tanzania the Ramadhani brothers are coming from.

Why haven’t we heard of them before? Where did they receive their training from? And who financed their trip to Mamtoni and back? Or is the government secretly running talent camps somewhere and this was one of its upshoots? Thanks to this non-descript reporter who seemed to have done some research and hence volunteered to answer some of their questions… The taxi drivers are taken aback when they are told that the Ramadhani Brothers were always around, only you never took notice. Well, folks, it turns out they have been flipping and tumbling on YouTube for ages, but you were too busy watching umbea and udaku videos.

They cannot believe that the duo has taken part in many talent competitions in the US and elsewhere, only they had never won top honours. They are told the Ramadhani Brothers did not just stumble upon their mind-bending skills; they were molded by a circus guru called Winston Ruddel, a.k.a Papa Afrika.

That the duo is a part of many Tanzanian youngsters who are being trained by Ruddel, a German with roots from Zimbabwe. What? A German-Zimbabwean trainer? Is he government-sponsored? No, he came privately – on his own. They are even more surprised to learn this guy had passed through Tanzania in a quest for circus talent for his world-renowned Mama Africa Circus show.

They are puzzled to learn that the Mama Africa Circus, with the Ramadhani Brothers on tow, had even done several shows in Dar es Salaam. Funny few remember this…. The crowd at the taxi rank is now getting even thicker, as the banter got more interesting.

The cabbies and the swelling crowd are told that later this guy from Germany and Zim founded Mama Africa’s acrobat school right here in Dar es Salaam. At Magomeni Makuti, around the former notorious Kiboko Msheli area, to be precise! What? They exclaim in unison. What do you mean? You mean, these boys were trained at Makuti and then went on to win the World Cup?? To them, any international triumph was a World Cup victory. And the revelation added a layer of mystery to the Ramadhani Brothers’ journey.

The cabbies are told that it all started as a mistake when Ruddel was offered a contract in Las Vegas in the US of America for a circus show. So, he came to Tanzania to look for youngsters with some good basics of acrobatics. They put a show together, but the Americans did not like the boys. Ruddel, having promised contracts to his Tanzanian protégés, found a plan B when the Americans did not quite vibe with the boys.

He started to look for jobs for them. In the end, they got so much work that he had to open an acrobats’ school to train more of them to meet the high demand. The rest, as they say, is history. It turned out to be a big success from a small mistake. More questions gushed out, like court elders grilling a chicken thief.

And the reporter kept on singing like a parrot. Tanzania is known to have had years ago a dazzling national acrobatic squad. Now where has it disappeared to? One elderly driver who seemed to bear a photographic memory chipped in, since our youthful reporter seemed to have missed that angle. The old guard said that a squad of some 20 youth was sent to China in 1960 for a four-year training stint. Upon their return, the old guard went on, the well-trained Tanzanian acrobats tried to teach others the game but were not successful for no apparent reason.

“We suspect the group died a natural death due to lack of interest (not of finances), by the powers that be as is the case in many things in this country. “Let us just hope that the new regiment in the Ministry of culture, arts, and culture will first find out what happened to the 20 Chinese trained national acrobats.

“After that, the next step should be to rekindle the games and others that have been neglected but with potential to doing well”, the old man said. But amidst the laughter and the lore, a poignant plea emerges from the lips of our wise taxi drivers.

They beseech the powers that be to uncover the fate of the lost acrobats, to breathe life back into Tanzania’s circus soul.

Well, since Mama’s Loyal Tour was just the beginning; the circus awaits its next act, its next star, its next moment in the spot.