Radio Tanzania Archives

Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam is sitting on a huge collection of really good old music and other archives, no doubt. The State was the only broadcaster for, like, ever and I know that all its media organs are sitting on archives of seriously valuable pictures, audio and film recordings that are probably rotting in storage as I type this. So here's a project I am excited about the Radio Tanzania Heritage Project.

They got in touch recently with this message: "the Tanzania Heritage Project is an organization attempting to revive the Radio Tanzania Dar-es-Salaam archives through digitization, film, photography, and social media. Please let your friends and networks know what we're trying to do. We don't want to do this project unless we have the support and excitement of Tanzanians."

They are Tweetable @RadioTanzania and if you want further networking holler at the addresses online or let me know to hook you up with the project team. Fade out.

The Weekly Sneak: Reverend Mtikila Sues Again

Opps: sorry folks, I had to repost this after taking off the link to Christopher Mtikila's Wikipedia page. I lazily didn't read before linking and so did not realize it was hostile.

True confession: when I was a sapling, my secret ambition was to work for the government when I grew up. I still experience twinges of envy when I come across civil servants, and have to force myself not to question them to death about what work is like. The good ones never really tell you anything anyways- you have to pry stuff out of them with a crowbar and a bottle of whiskey.

And while I love politicians the way Premier League fans love their star footballers, I have a whole other level of awe that I reserve for good career public servants. It has been more than a little frustrating watching how the past couple of generations of civil servants have succeeded at killing the 'profession' in Tanzania. Of course it isn't all of them, but must such an overwhelming majority of civil display contemptible behavior? We the people are exhausted and apathetic thanks to their shenanigans. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of one Mzee Ruksa, who softly led us into the land of laissez-faire. Lovely man, but really.

From time to time, I have to forcibly resuscitate my belief in the whole national project thing. The good Reverend Mtikila is unfailingly helpful in this regard. I love that the good Reverend keeps our Judiciary exercised by making a persistent nuisance of himself. He is at it again, this time suing them for trying to sell off their own offices. Not all great public servants are paid by the state :) Coming this week to an East African near you:

"Dar es Salaam recently lost the wonderful Nyumba ya Sanaa which had the ill fortune of being placed next to... a historic, flashily refurbished hotel currently incarnated as the Movenpick. There is a pattern here- obviously unique old buildings shouldn't be placed anywhere near hotels as they seem to attract a strange kind of predation. What makes the Forodhani Hotel case particularly distasteful is that the Kilimanjaro is proposing to put in a parking lot. Of all things, the judiciary is willing to give up this historic space in favor of a parking lot? This is exactly the kind of decision that exasperates citizens. If the highest legal authority in the land is not nuanced enough to understand the ramifications of such a decision, who knows what else they get horribly wrong?"

TEDxDAR: Maya Wegerif

Maya Wegerif: 18 years old. African. As she introduced her work as a writer, she hit on the point of voice and representation. Although she couched it in terms of stories told about Africa and Africans and incited us to claim our space, I was hearing her as an African woman who is frighteningly talented and challenging us, her sistren, to tell our stories too as best we can.

Tcha. Keep your eye on this one. We'll all be milling around her trying to get a photo op when she wins that literary prize in a couple of years. Best get your photo now ;)

And yes Maya: let's claim our stories. Check her out on her blog.

We were treated to another excellent TED Video. You can't pay for candor like that :)

TEDxDAR: Mejah Mbuya and Sarah Markes

Attention: Dreadlocks on stage! Mejah Mbuya is presenting a brief history of Dar es Salaam, accompanied by Sarah's fantastic drawings. Because, like me, Sarah considers microphones to be mortal enemies. Nice management of the situation, Sarah ;)

I have blogged about the Street Level Project before, check it out if. Chema chajiuza. It is also an excellent lens through which to present Dar es Salaam in the 21st Century, this city which some of us love so much. Karibuni Bongo, kuna historia...