Tanzanianisation and Practice of Indigenous Music Traditions in Church Worship in Dar es Salaam
Kassomo Mkallyah
Abstract
This article concentrates on the Tanzanianisation process and the practice of indigenous Tanzanian music
traditions used in church worship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It shows that the Tanzanianisation of indigenous
Tanzanian music traditions takes place when musical sounds from one ethnic culture is appropriated and is
embraced by many cultures outside the original ethnic domain. This transformation involves many musical
aspects including performance, performers, venues, musical instruments and musical attributes. In this process,
the transference of musical sounds from one ethnic culture to other multi-ethnic cultures until the music assumes
a national dimension. The article argues that migration affecting all ethnic groups in Tanzania has facilitated the
Tanzanianisation of hitherto localised traditional music traditions identified with a particular ethnic group to
become multi-cultural and become part of church music. Such Tanzanianisation that facilitates multi-cultural
practicing of indigenous music traditions during church worship helps also to foster the preservation and
promotion of Tanzania music traditions.
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