100 Year Old Barefoot Diva -Bi Kidude- Legacy Will Live ON!

World Music mourns the passing of Bi Kidude, the Diva of Taraab music- a Arab-Swahili music form. She was teeny and tiny, bold and old, revolutionary and modern, Muslim woman from Zanzibar. (Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island of Tanzania, a country in East Africa.)

Bi Kidude - africareview.com
Her funeral was attended by the President of Tanzania, the President of Zanzibar, the First and Second Vice Presidents and the Regional Commissioner.  And as fitting a Queen, even the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, postponed the House session to allow lawmakers to attend the funeral.  Read more here-> 
http://allafrica.com/stories/201304190115.html

Bold and modern, Kidude (key-do-dee) shocks Islam culture by drinking and smoking.  But she first shocked the Muslim world by revealing her face and taking off her veil. She was the first Muslim woman to unveil her face to sing!  A revolutionary woman whose music is just as shocking because it is really... well... Rated. X.  

Allow me to explain....

Bi Kidude - guardian.co.uk/
Kidude died at the ripe old age of about 100 ...  no one knows her real age. According to Kidude, “I cannot say that I know myself, but my birth was at the time of the Rupee.”  Rupee being the Indian currency, which replaced cowry shells as a medium of exchange, and was used throughout East Africa up to the First World War .  That would make her about 100 years old!  

Legend also has it she was born such a tiny preemie that when her uncle walked in to see his newborn niece, he exclaimed:

"What a tiny little thing, hardly a thing at all!" Or in his native Swahili:  Kidude! - a word used to describe anything that is so small that the speaker lacks the adjectives to explain it. Read more here-> 
http://www.africareview.com/Special-Reports/-/979182/1758732//-/index.html

Well, the name stuck and Bi Kidude, born Bi Fatuma Binti Baraka, was the Diva of traditional folkloric music Taarab.


What is TAARAB?
The “Grand Old Lady of Taarab”, as Bi Kidude was known, went on to carve a major effect on the music and culture of Zanzibar. Singing in Arabic and Kiswahili, she influenced the evolution of Taarab, a music style that originated in Egypt and is usually accompanied by fiddles, flutes, drums and rattles.  

She herself played the African drum to the 'dumbak' music, the ubiquitous music of the Swahili Coast which combines the violins, ouds and ganoons of the Arabic tradition with the drums and flutes of Africa. 

Bi Kidude, the Diva of Taarab music was also the domineering force in the the tradition of Unyago.  The Swahili culture has a coming of age ceremony that only women partake in called UNYAGO. Absolutely no men are allowed.  The purpose of the ceremony,  is to tell and show young woman how to treat their husband.  

 Unyago uses traditional rhythms to teach women to pleasure their husbands. But that is not all!  It also lectures against and becries the dangers of sexual abuse and oppression.  Such a topic is graphic of course by necessity.  So it may be X - .rated ... but for a reason!  If you see the video, it brings twerking to shame!  Twerking is senseless.  But Unyago.... has a real purpose.  Unyago is deep-rooted in tradition and Bi Kidude helped to re-vitalize and maintain the tradition.

Breaking Tradition
One tradition though that she turned about-face (pun intended) was unveiling and showing her face in public.  Islam women must wear a veil.  But Bi Kidude was the first to unveil and show her face in order to sing.  It seems that it may not have been a revolutionary move at all. She unveiled her face because she sounded just like her predecessor Siti Binti Saad.

"I learned all my songs from Siti Binti Saad, the first woman singer in Zanzibar," she recalls. "We both had to cover our faces with a fine cloth. Then she passed away but her voice was still in the air. She had a very powerful voice, like mine. There was no difference. So people, some of the highest in the land, said you must do something to show who you are. . . and so I raised the veil."  Read more here ->
http://allafrica.com/stories/201304291264.html
Another tradition she stomped out (another pun) - at least for herself - is that of wearing shoes.  She walked barefoot around the country from gig to gig. She never wore shoes because she “was born barefoot” and believed wearing shoes “would weaken her”.  Read more here-> 
And read more here-> "Unos la llaman la diva de África, otros la princesa descalza, porque llueva, nieve o haga sol Bi Kidude se resiste a vestir sus pies, pero ella es, ante todo, una niña de casi 100 años."

As Old As My Tongue - the documentary
Although, she wouldn't call herself a rebel, she has broken the rules since she was 10 years old when she ran away from Koran school to the Stone town docks.  According to the documentary, "As Old As My Tongue"
http://www.asoldasmytongue.net/

To see a  93-year old woman drum, dance, drink, and flirt, is a unique experience. To witness the transformation as she reverses the aging process and changes from a wrinkled granny into a vital shining star is  nothing short of a revelation.

The documentary won awards as far as France, to Zimbabwe, to Miami, USA!

Kidude and HIP HOP
This remarkable women who took Taraab music to such great heights, in actuality released her first solo in her late 80's!  That's right!  

Bi Kidude, the grand old lady of Zanzibari Taarab, was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the world music convention Womex 2005. Up until then her RetroAfric album Zanzibar (RETRO12CD) had been the one and only release by this nonagenarian legend. In 2005 she was also given one of the highest honours by the political leaders of Zanzibar. RetroAfric salutes this pioneering performer.  Read more here-> 
http://retroafric.com/html/news_12.html

A few years ago, Bi Kidude, introduced her second album in which she collaborated with the HIP HOP scene- the blend of African traditional drums and Zenji Flava.   If you thought Shakira and Wyclef was a remarkable mix, imagine the blend of African traditional drums with Zenji Flava Hip Hop! 

"It is one of the most remarkable juxtapositons of musical style in modern World Music! Read more here-> 
http://worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=1146

What is Zenji Flava?
"It's not bling bling. It's not gangter rap. It's mostly talking about the daily issues facing young people."

"Music should be more than just about making money.  It should be more than driving around in big cars.  It should be that you're trying to pass a message- preach some gospel to your music!"

See the video here: I guarantee u will love it!  It's the Hip Hop scene in East Africa! Mzunga films presents Zenji Flava

Here is another popular Zenji Flava music video by a popular East African Hip Hop Artist NAZIRA by Berry Black Feat AT and Dorica

Kidude on RAP MUSIC
"what do u think of rap music?"

"ah, that western music?"

"yes. do u think its positve or negative?"

"it can be a positive thing. ... but girls have to wear decent clothes, no pants and shirts that show their belly!"


And how did Bi Kidude describe Taarab music?
"Taarab is different...
 it's like throwing your soul in the sky."


Ahhh!  And now the beloved Bi Kidude is - in the sky!

I leave you to watch the video "At Home with Bi Kidude" a short 6 minute film about this iconic Zanzibar Islamic DIVA!