Do It Yourselfness

Hi. So I have been sitting on this post forever because I couldn't figure out how to dump a whole bunch of links in one place and make them thematically consistent. But now I really have to close the tabs on my browser, so I have settled on Do It Yourselfness. It's my favorite attitude in the world: the intentional grasping of whatever you got in hand in order to create (or try) something that you want to see done.

So my top hit do-it-yourselfer is here. I asked a question about Tanzanian hip-hop, politics, gender issues and poverty and got such an awesome answer that I was partly sold on the whole hip hop thing. There's nothing like getting the low-down from an inside man. In the same vein,here is some free content addressing the Arab Spring and stuff. Look for the music breaks.

This event is another gem from some of my favorite do-it-yourselfers: Pen&Mic is back at Saffron, second edition. I missed the first one and have been virtually excommunicated. So I will be at the second one (that'll be me in the corner downing brandy and stroking egos). But on a serious note: this stuff is the good stuff. Don't miss. 7:30 until late, Saffron Restaurant, bring your art if you can.

Ah, Ariana. Miz Huffington did indeed build her online newspaper from a do-it-yourself perspective. Pity about her morals and ethics. So the lesson here is: don't give your content for free unless it's your blog. Otherwise you'll get Huffingtoned.

Every so often I get a call to go out and spend a pleasant hour or two "helping" baby activists get their blogging skills on point. I'll say this much: it is surprisingly hard to actually set up a blog and write one consistently, especially if there's a group involved. These guys might be rough around the edges, but I think they are getting the hang of doing it themselves. Content and design. Go team go!

And then there's this little scuffle in Bunge, which delighted me. They do say watch out for the quiet ones. Trevor Noah is by no means a quiet one, my goodness that guy makes political incorrectness irresistible. Watch out for the little inappropriate moment at the end.

To cap it off with a bang: I read a lot of stuff about Africa trying to puzzle out the blanket "governance problem". I tend not to agree with most of it, and I really have a hard time finding whose thinking rings true. But David Booth? He's definitely onto something. And it's not the same-old-same-old either.

And because not to mention it would be a shame: William Easterly recently accepted Feminism as his personal savior. I'm going to take a flying leap over all the things that I could say in response to a powerful white man in the development sector coming to Jesus at such a late stage in his life, because someone else is sure to do it far better. Instead I want to point out one thing: one key difference between a male feminist and a man who thinks he's a feminist but isn't is the temerity to defend this political stance against "your own." Easterly has a long way to go in his induction to the -ism, but I'll celebrate his breaking this glass ceiling.

Content sourcing: hat tip to Shurufu and Swahili Street twitterfeeds and a few others (sorry! I forget! tabs open too long!). Raspberries to La Dee for finding that awesomely terrible Trevor Noah clip. If I never get another visa to the States it's your fault.

Coming Attractions!

One of the best things about this blog is that it has given me friends in art places. Hehe, get it? Friends in art... nevermind. But you know how it is- this is a small city. Hang around people's porches ling enough and instead of getting arrested for stalking, you end up bumping into some creatives. And creatives do cool stuff.

Coming to an Alliance Francaise near you: capturing light on the ocean with paint. Origins is a collection of painting by Nadir Tharani- author, architect, artist. Here is a brief interview by VijanaFM profiling Nadir and his work. It opens tomorrow and will be running until the 8th of April and from the little I have seen if you love the color blue the way that I do, you better go treat yourself.

Then, there is Jazz. I love Busara, really, but I have always thought that this coast is very well suited to a Jazz festival. Turns out that other much more able people have been working on this idea for a while now. This April, the first steps are being taken in that direction and it's looking good so far. Check out the First Dar Jazz Event on their website and enjoy.

One. Two. Chakachua!

There is no way that everyone's favorite Election 2010 neologism would fail to inspire a writer. Check out this fantastic excerpt:

"Law and order men like Martians went to meet em,

Sprayed em with smelly liquid perfume, which also itched,

Fired smoke in their eyes so they could not see

Left couple of tires burning and run for their lives

poor boys and gals

To take shower and remove the perfume

Wash their eyes so they could see clear where to go

And then we heard the word chakachua

What? Again? But how can that be?

Same way they did for petrol, they said.

So let us jazz it up again!

All together now,

A one and two chakachua

A three and four chakachua

In the west chakachua

And in the east chakachua

In the south chakachua

And in the north chakachua

Everywhere, chakachua

In the morning, chakachua

In the night, chakachua

Left and right, chakachua

You want to vote, chakachua

You got your money, chakachua

‘n good roads, chakachua

‘n Health centres, chakachua

‘n this time, chakachua

‘n next time, chakachua

In the church ,chakachua

In the mosque, chakachua

In the school, chakachua

Univeristy, chakachua

All together, chakachua

Ali Mselem, chakachua

Ali mselem, chakachua

Mchakamchaka, chakachua

Mchakamchaka, chakachuaaaaaaaaa!"

That's just the final part of this creative piece that runs through contemporary Tanzanian politics with power, agency and freedom as it's central themes. Who is the passionate young man behind the chant? Walter Bgoya. Want more? You're about to get more.

There is a Book Slam coming maybe-anytime-now to a yet-to-be-decided location near you, so watch this space. And please do ask Shurufu for more information, especially if you would like to participate and have a few pieces you want to share as well. And if you came to Sarah Markes' Street Level exhibition launch or visited anytime after, you rock. Support your local artists. The Street Level exhibition closes this Friday.

Dar Sketches Exhibition Opens Tommorow

From Six to Eight at the Alliance Francaise. Hope to see you there.

In other news, the long-awaited, finally open Makutano House is warming up it's engines. Looks like international films will be coming to Dar with a bit more frequency. Maybe even... independent films! Check out their offerings. And on that tip, I also spotted this interesting blog on Global Voices Online's sidebar. Diversity? Yes, please.

A Night in Film: A Presentation of Three East African Films

Last Thursday, I watched three Tanzanian movies. In some, I could recognize the buildings, people I had spoken to. I could feel the quality of the light, appreciate the compromises forced onto the stories. It was as revealing as watching a home video. Is this what some lucky Americans feel when they go to a Hollywood movie? The appeal of foreign movies frankly pales against the self-interest and satisfaction of watching local film. It is a great feeling.

First up was 'Weakness,': written and produced by Abdu Simba and directed by Wanjiru Kairu. Originally meant for a BBC radio competition, Abdu had a chance to get his script made during the sadly short lived MNet show 'The Agency' and he took it. Thank goodness. Now listen: this film's biggest flaw is that you can tell it was hastily shot. As good as the actors and cobbled together crew was, the seams are visible. The characters are sometimes forced and dialogue is left hanging uncertainly, the soundtrack is way bizarre in its boominosity, and the lighting doesn't do justice to the set or the actors' complexions.

So what? The script soared and dipped with dramatic tension. It was unexpectedly angular at times, uncomfortable. The casting turned out to be slyly effective. How fine it would be to see this again with a real budget, some time, and an editor with the sensitivity to caress all the pieces into place, because there is something going on here. I really believe it could be made beautiful in the city of its conception, maybe even using some local talent. Better yet, it has a static quality and simplicity that would make for an excellent stage production. What about the women, you ask? 'Weakness' had peripheral female characters inserted into its Cain and Abel plot, a bit chattel-like. Bit parts.

The second film, 'Mwamba Ngoma' did not know whether it was a documentary about Tanzanian music history or a promotional documentary about Wahapahapa. So let me disclaim right here: thank you kindly for your good work, Wahapahapa, this was by far the most glossy and professionally shot film and it shows. Now onto the critical: this documentary started out being satisfying, and deliciously engrossing- Ngoma za Jadi, Muziki wa Ala, Muziki wa Dansi, through to Bongo Flava. The film had a good ear, humor, heart, and a light insightful touch- marks of being made by people who know and love the subject. Mwamba Ngoma was on its way to greatness. Then, the Wahapahapa agenda intruded and made it about the message (HIV/Aids and Aid) instead of the people and art. So now, it is what it is not quite one thing, not quite the other.

I would have been quite crazy about this movie if it had been made sans agenda-driven patronage. Let me not mince words: some forms of compromise can really suck the soul out of a project. Mwamba Ngoma has been nominated in the documentary category of the African Movie Awards and I hope it wins, just to put Tanzanian musicians on the map and maybe encourage the director and producers to make the movie it could have been: something to give the Buena Vista Social Club documentary a run for its money. The woman angle? High marks. Mwamba Ngoma featured female artists and performers centrally.

Finally, James Gayo's 'The Trip' was an unexpected bit of fun. What worked: the sly situational humor and sparse dialogue that is reminiscent of Gayo's cartoon work in Kingo. The charming actors, who could have overplayed this into the outer reaches of farce but instead infused it with restraint and credibility that paid off. Note to TZ actors: you don't have to roll your eyes to show disbelief. Also, the matter-of-factness of the plot. This was some very competent comedy, really fun stuff that would probably have a similar appeal as Stephen Chow's work (he did the awesome Kung Fu Hustle). The Trip has a similar oddly timeless quality- contemporary with a strong element of myth. And 'The Trip' specialized in saucy village wenches who were smart and knew how to have a little fun. Heh.

What didn't work: another example of opportunistic compromise, Mr. Gayo's movie was made in Uganda. This lead to some cognitive dissonances: one of the actors slips quite comfortably into Luganda on occasion, confusing the hell out of the dialogue. And the subtitles are in French, which may be a little challenging for an East African audience. Then, there is the notion of a couple of guys traveling by bus from an unnamed (though visually very Lake Zone) rural area to Tanga on the east coast of Tanzania for a job. Dude, what?! And finally: Baganda men playing on a Bao board made out of Mpingo so that a suitor can win himself a wife. Erm. I don't think so. Artistic license.

As it was, the theatre was filled with movie makers whose work hasn't been Big Screened for paying audiences in-country. Which is, like, beyond criminal. And that is how this evening ended: with the hanging question of how to make this kind of thing happen on a regular basis, even if its something as small as two-week annual movie festival in Dar es Salaam.

...and some other stuff that's crossed my radar this weekend

Tanzania is at the Pan African Film Festival this month! Weakness, written (yup, his script!) and co-produced by Abdu Simba and directed by Wanjiru Kairu will be screened on Friday 12th February and Saturday 13th February at the Culver Plaza Theatres in LA. If you go, tell all about it.

So, remember back in 2007 when the prestigious Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Global Conference came to Arusha bringing together thinkers and innovators from around the world and (ahem) Tanzania? Oh, you didn't go either? Well, the good news is that a band of Bongolanders are organizing a TEDxDar event that will take place on May 22nd. Link to the website coming soon. In the meantime, the TED website is an excellent place to procrastinate. It beats forwarding odious Cute Kitten/Prayer Chain/Health Scare /My Cause emails to your exasperated friends, although that can be fun too...

My favorite purveyors of shiny electronic toys, Apple, has finally fallen off the edge of the product-naming cliff. Just a month ago, they were so cool and smart and soulful (yes, and businessminded) that I could condescend to my PC friends with confidence. This year they give us...the iPad. Thanks Steve, its going to be fun carrying one of those around the office.

M. G. Vassanji was in Dar es Salaam, and he said the same thing as Yoda

I was lucky enough to meet and chat with the award-winning author M G Vassanji over the weekend during an event organized by the Soma Book Cafe. It is always fascinating to meet successful artists and get a sense of the individual behind the creative work. I found Dr. Vassanji to be quiet, thoughtful and sensitive- and very patient with some of our clumsier questions such as "Is this your first visit to Tanzania?" And although I have heard this sentiment before, Dr. Vassanji's advice to aspiring writers resonated: just do it. That's the achievement worth working towards.

Flying back from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam yesterday was an experience. As we sat on the tarmac in the Coastal Aviation puddle jumper- barebones conveyance, no air conditioning in a sardine can with about fifteen passengers- we were delayed for nearly an hour because a Boeing that was meant to take off before us couldn't leave due to debris on the runway. The Zanzibar airport authorities were supposed to have taken care of the problem two hours ago. Instead, we got treated to the French accents of the Boeing pilot declaring: "Welcome to Zanzibaaarrr, welcome to 'ell" over the radio. Its official: Hell is a gorgeous tropical island.

As my boss had said earlier on during the day, it was surprising and perhaps instructive that Zanzibaris had come out en mass in support of Maridhiano had not once protested the lack of power on the island. This is the second month running since the undersea cable from the mainland snapped and here we were waiting for someone to clear pebbles off the runway so that a Boeing could take off, while hundreds of stranded tourists- the red blood cells of the Zanzibari economy- sweated out their bottled water in the airport lounge behind us. This island wants economic autonomy. Really?

"Do or do not...there is no try." Yoda said it, a nuclear physicist-turned-author-said it, sometimes that's just the way it is.

A Very Exciting Project!

Calling all passionate and expressive residents of Dar es Salaam! I am participating in a Very Exciting Book Project on the City that brings together the art of Sarah Markes and the original words of those who would like to contribute. If you have something to say about the city in prose or poetry please get in touch with Sarah Markes. Nostalgia welcome.