Post by Yona Maro on Sept 4, 2005 2:36:35 GMT -5
IOSS was created in a kind of coup in 1985, when the bandowner, businessman Hugo Kisima, disbanded his Orchestra Safari Sound (OSS) led by Ndala Kasheba and hired six leading members of Mlimani Park to form the nucleus of the new IOSS. Singer Muhiddin Maalim Gurumo and lead-guitarist Abel Balthazar were the new bandleaders, Hassani pregnant doguka the leading vocalist and composer (featured here on "Chatu Mkali" and "Homa Imenizidia").
Tanzanian bands typically come in rival pairs, each with a large group of loyal followers. This competitive situation may well go back to the older ngoma dance societies, and was also widespread among the dance clubs of the 1930s to the 1950s. While in the early eighties the two most prominent competitors were Ndala Kasheba's OSS and Nguza's Maquis, the new pair became IOSS and Mlimani. Muhiddin Maalim, acknowledged master of mitindo, devised IOSS's new mtindo Ndekule. Originally ndekule is a men's ngoma of the Zaramo people who inhabit the area around Dar es Salaam. It was a warriors dance, performed during celebrations, the men carrying their swords or sticks. Ndekule is also the name of a particular snake and the ndekule ngoma may well have been the dance of a snake-charmers society in earlier times. The contemporary associations become more clear if we look at the song lyrics of "Chatu Mkali," 'beware, a snake is dangerous.' The public read this as referring to the rivalry between Mlimani and its former members leading IOSS. In fact, in IOSS newspaper advertisements of the time, an elephant is seen tugging a motor vessel out of the sea, a snake (i.e., IOSS/Ndekule) waits dangerously at the shore. A ship, 'M.V. Mapenzi' (meaning Motor Vessel Love), featured prominently in one of Mlimani's songs of that period, a song that teased Muhiddin for abandoning his M.V. Mapenzi (M.V. Love, read Mlimani Park) and throwing himself into the sea only to be eaten by the sharks.
For a time IOSS were indeed contenders for Mlimani's position as the number one band. However, in 1987, Hassani pregnant doguka rejoined his former band Mlimani with Muhiddin Maalim following in 1989. Since then, both returned to their erstwhile band Juwata/OTTU. Other members left IOSS to join newly established bands made possible by the economic liberalization program which allows importation of musical instruments by private businesses. For example Abel Balthazar and several others including Skassy Kassambula (the featured singer on "Somboko Ama") left to form a new band called the Magereza Jazz Band. IOSS went through several less successful editions before experiencing a short revival at the top in 1991/92 under the leadership of Nguza Viking of Maquis fame. They had a nationwide hit with "Mageuzi" (Changes), a song on the political changes taking place in Tanzania at the time. Despite their resurgence and quite inexplicably, the owner of IOSS disbanded the band a short time later.
Tanzanian bands typically come in rival pairs, each with a large group of loyal followers. This competitive situation may well go back to the older ngoma dance societies, and was also widespread among the dance clubs of the 1930s to the 1950s. While in the early eighties the two most prominent competitors were Ndala Kasheba's OSS and Nguza's Maquis, the new pair became IOSS and Mlimani. Muhiddin Maalim, acknowledged master of mitindo, devised IOSS's new mtindo Ndekule. Originally ndekule is a men's ngoma of the Zaramo people who inhabit the area around Dar es Salaam. It was a warriors dance, performed during celebrations, the men carrying their swords or sticks. Ndekule is also the name of a particular snake and the ndekule ngoma may well have been the dance of a snake-charmers society in earlier times. The contemporary associations become more clear if we look at the song lyrics of "Chatu Mkali," 'beware, a snake is dangerous.' The public read this as referring to the rivalry between Mlimani and its former members leading IOSS. In fact, in IOSS newspaper advertisements of the time, an elephant is seen tugging a motor vessel out of the sea, a snake (i.e., IOSS/Ndekule) waits dangerously at the shore. A ship, 'M.V. Mapenzi' (meaning Motor Vessel Love), featured prominently in one of Mlimani's songs of that period, a song that teased Muhiddin for abandoning his M.V. Mapenzi (M.V. Love, read Mlimani Park) and throwing himself into the sea only to be eaten by the sharks.
For a time IOSS were indeed contenders for Mlimani's position as the number one band. However, in 1987, Hassani pregnant doguka rejoined his former band Mlimani with Muhiddin Maalim following in 1989. Since then, both returned to their erstwhile band Juwata/OTTU. Other members left IOSS to join newly established bands made possible by the economic liberalization program which allows importation of musical instruments by private businesses. For example Abel Balthazar and several others including Skassy Kassambula (the featured singer on "Somboko Ama") left to form a new band called the Magereza Jazz Band. IOSS went through several less successful editions before experiencing a short revival at the top in 1991/92 under the leadership of Nguza Viking of Maquis fame. They had a nationwide hit with "Mageuzi" (Changes), a song on the political changes taking place in Tanzania at the time. Despite their resurgence and quite inexplicably, the owner of IOSS disbanded the band a short time later.