The following is a transcript of an exclusive interview with Mwanafalsafa,

Tanzania’s top emcee. Popularly known as MwanaFA or Binamu, this

flawless performer has won fans beyond the country’s borders especially
after spending a year doing his postgraduate studies in the West-Midland
city of Coventry in the United Kingdom. Some of his biggest hits include
Mimi na Mademu Damu Damu, Ingekuwa Vipi (featuring Jay-Mo), Alikufa
kwa Ngoma (featuring Lady Jaydee), Unanitega (featuring Noorah),
Nangoja Ageuke (featuring his closest pal AY) and many others.
Undisputedly, MwanaFA remains one of the best Bongoflava lyrical
assassins, and with his over one-year stint in the UK he has some very
bright prospect of becoming one of the fewest Tanzanian artists to break
into the international hip-hop scene.
KULIKONI UGHAIBUNI (K.U.): First of all, I’d like express my heartfelt
gratitude for your decision to grant us an exclusive interview. Secondly, I’d like
to congratulate you for a successful completion of your postgraduate studies in
the United Kingdom.
You are famously known as Mwanafalsafa (a philosopher) or Binamu
(cousin).Where did you get these names or what do they mean?
MwanaFA: Thanks. It’s my first producer Dj Boniluv who gave me the
name Mwanafalsafa.I had a song called Mwanafalsafa (in my first album)
and Boni thought it would be a good idea to use the name mainly because
of my lyrics are massively philosophical. I eventually got the name Binamu
which expresses my interactions with my intended audience. As ‘their
cousin’ I find it easy to tell my audience stuffs that could otherwise be
hardly told by their sisters and brothers due to our cultural norms. I
therefore make use of my interactions and closeness to deliver such
messages.
K.U: What has made you remain such top notch performer in the Bongoflava
(Tanzania’s own version of hip-hop) scene for all this long?
MwanaFA: Ah, the first thing I know is I’m really lucky, and I thank God
for that...because there had been several artists with talents to remain top
dogs but they are no longer there due to one reason or another. I usually
endeavour to tell people stuffs they would like to hear, and perhaps they
never expected them. I find a way of playing with ideas and create a
logic...the rest is the politics of music.
K.U: Let’s now focus on your time out of Tanzania (abroad).As an artist what’s
your view of Bongoflava in the international scene?
MwanaFA: It’s unfortunately gloomy, honestly. It’s got quite a long way to
go...There are a number of things we must accepts first, for instance the
question of language barrier...this is not a minor issue, and I’m saying so
because in order to perform successfully at a local (Tanzanian) scene an
artist has to use Kiswahili, which has been quite hard to be exported
beyond Swahili-speaking areas...The quality of our music and its lack of
originality; the contemporary bongoflava is full of influence from hip-hop,
r&b, afro pop, zouk, kwaito, lingala, etc which makes hinders affording it
opportunity to dominate beyond its ‘catchment area’. Perhaps it’s high
time we start working on these two important issues: language and
originality.
K.U: Did you manage to do any collaboration with foreign artists when you
were away from Tanzania? Do you have such plans in the future?
MwanaFA: I didn’t, honestly...I nearly worked with Amit (a UK-based
music producer) but his and my schedules were so tight that we couldn’t
make it happen...I still have plans to work with artists from Nigeria and
South Africa...at the moment I’m only focusing on working with my fellow
African artists...so I’m initially thinking of Nigerian and South African
artists.
K.U: Fame is sometimes accompanied with certain inconveniences. How did
you manage the challenges of being famous when you were busy with your
studies in the United Kingdom?
MwanaFA: I had been a student for quite some time before I went to the
UK, and I’d been known to many people during all that time (I wouldn’t
describe myself as being famous)...See, I’ve been an artist for nearly 9 years
now and I’m quite used to the challenges posed by being a well-known
person...I studied at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania) for a couple of years and I still managed to focus on my
stuffs despite being famous. So it’s even easier for me when I was overseas
because only a few people knew me there as compared to how it’s in
Tanzania.
K.U: It’s obvious that due to your advanced level of education you’ll be faced
with other non-music/artistic responsibilities (e.g. a professional career).How
you plan to balance such responsibilities/commitments while making sure you
remain a top dog in Bongoflava?
MwanaFA: For a start, I’ve appointed A.Y. (a popular Bongoflava artist in
Tanzania) to manage my music stuffs so that I could manage my other
responsibilities.AY owns a music management company known as Unity
Entertainment...This leaves me with just a task of performing at live shows
which is something I’m quite used to...I’m still looking at ways of making
sure that my responsibilities won’t interfere with each other...However, I’m
not trying to create barriers to things I can manage to do regardless of how
many they are. I’m fighting to succeed in life and I’m trying to straighten
things up in my life as much as I could.
K.U: Do you think with your recent academic achievements your fans could
have higher expectations from you, especially in the themes of your music?
MwanaFA: yeah, I’m learning through living...every step I took in my life
has been a lesson to me and through my music I intend to keep my fans
posted of my experiences and life journeys...so even with my academic
achievements I feel I have gained more knowledge and skills to interact
with my audience. It’s not academic but rather in the way ‘the streets
(audience) would understand’.
K.U: A related question. With your academic achievement, should the society
expect a new point of view in the messages found in your music?
MwanaFA: The answer is exactly the same as for the previous question. All
that I could pin-point is I don’t want to mix my academic achievements
with music expect in business and some few areas where education is
needed to run them effectively....You don’t need a Masters degree to make
a good music...My music is for the streets, and I’ll keep on doing my stuffs
for the streets....you know what I’m saying? More than often, here at home
(Tanzania) some people get misunderstood simply because they seem to
know too much (i.e. it’s an unpopular idea in the street to be a know-all).
K.U: As one of the most educated artists in Tanzania, what is your advice to
fellow artists on educating themselves?
MwanaFA: Only way to compare this is, let’s not our lives as artists to be
part of the music we make...but rather the music we make should be part
of how we live. I decided to go back to ‘school’ (university) because I want
to remain Mama Hamis’s son, and in order to do what I would have
otherwise done if I were not an artist. Music, especially ours, leaves a lot to
be desired. It does not necessarily pronounce success in your life and your
closed ones. It’s therefore imperative to have some contingency plans.
K.U: From the experience gained from your long stay on overseas, what advice
could you offer to your fellow artists on the feasibility of selling their artistic
works, especially music, beyond the Tanzanian borders?
MwanaFA: It’s like I’ve already answered this question...We’ve to get out
of the present denial state...let’s accept that we first need some serious
changes in our music, and then we would be in a better position of taming
international scenes. Otherwise, we will continue performing before 200-
300 Tanzanians (dismally slim audiences) when we embark on
international tours.
K.U: Finally, do you have any message to your fans? Should they expect some
new material soon?
MwanaFA: yeah, keep your ears out for some new stuffs...I’ll drop some
new material soon.
K.U: This blog wishes you all the best in your endeavours.
MwanaFA: Thanks very much. I thank you...and apologies it’s taken that long
to respond to your questions...daily hassles, you know...I hope you and your
blog’s readers would understand that.