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In 2015, when Bongo Flava was still mostly a melting pot of Tanzanian hip hop, dansi, taarab with influences from American hip hop, RnB and reggae, ‘Alternative Nights’ sought to introduce Dar natives to a new sound. The live music and poetry event featured a generation of young, independent artists, who were often gracing the stage for the very first time. Turunesh, one of those artists, speaks fondly of a 16-year-old version of herself getting her start at the event. “That was the first time I felt like a gig worthy musician and that I was important and had something to share,” she reveals, “and five years later there is more of a scene for alternative music.”

Donae’o: pronounced Donay-o to mean ‘gift from God.’ An apt stage name for a spiritual Ian Greenidge who always knew he was going to be an artist. It couldn’t have been anything else, he tells me early in our conversation, “God let me know from early that ‘this is what you are gonna do for the rest of your life’.” The spirituality that is the bedrock of his certainty is one he takes pride in cultivating himself. He mentions that he has always had a strong connection with God and the universe. So naturally, he considers his engagement with music an extension of that spirituality, that connection to God.

In the latest post on Vandezine, the newsletter with updates from the Vandelay radio station crew, co-founder Dare offers some words of wisdom; “if you think you’re so cool because…you send messages to yourself from your burner account saying “great set last night,” then screenshot it and post it on your story with the caption saying “fan love”- this is your wake up call.”

“When I played my new music to my friends, they called me a bully,” Kel-P teasingly mentions about halfway into our conversation, “they say I’m coming for the music industry with how good the music sounds.”