Video | 16:9 | 1-2 min | stereo sound | swahili, english
Video statements for S.U.A. Arusha, Tanzania
2015
These video statements were commissioned by Saving Underground Artists. S.U.A. is an union of local cultural producers founded in 2012 by Biggie Shirima and Daz Knaledge. In these videos, rappers, artists, producers and hip hop fans were asked to state their message to their community and the people of Arusha.
S.U.A. organizes many things for Arusha; open stages for rappers, beatboxers, and breakdancers, an open air cinema with a focus on documentary filmmaking produced by locals addressing local issues, workshops (as graffiti or poetry writing, filmmaking, beatbox, sound etc.), and lectures. This catalogue of services is funded and organized by the Arushan community, with no backing from government programs. What they aim to do is create a platform for the underground movements in arts and politics, thus interweaving the two fields.
featuring: Wiseman - R'n'B Singer, student - Henry Sangawa - Illuminator, examination coordinator of the British council - Gaëlle Lapostolle - Director of the Alliance Française of Mkurugenzi - Jabu Wa Jabu - Blockbuster, plastic collector - Gabriel Olodi - Traditional music teacher at Makumira University, Tanzania - Lotuno Lomayani aka Umbwa Mzee - Rapper, producer, head of Watengwa Records and Studio - Abdala Said Mshakamari aka DeWee - Beatboxer, drummer - Kamaa Rutta - Rapper, member of X-Plastaz, farmer - Sight More - Rapper, member of KINGS, driver for a butchers shop Eugen Peter - Rapper, assistant of Biggie Shirima and artist coordinator of S.U.A. GP - Rapper, poet - Manase Mzava - Rapper, porter on Kilimanjaro mountain Uthman Shaban - Breakdancer, farmer - Biggie Shirima - Founder and manager of S.U.A. - Robert Babuu Molell - Co-founder and taskmaster of S.U.A. - Jenipha Lucas - Student at Alliance Française of Mkurugenzi, volunteer of S.U.A.
SPREAD THE MESSAGE: Open Mic at Sombetini, Arusha | Video Documentation
25min | HD | H264 | Stereo
Commissioned by SUA Arusha (Save the Underground Artists)
He has lined up on the stage with the other MCs indicating that they want to go next, subtly urging the guy holding the mic, rapping, to hand it over to him. He is slightly moving to the words, eyes to the ground. Now, finally, his fellow hands the mic over to him.
He takes the mic slowly and gently, as if he wouldn’t have been waiting before, wraps the cable around his fist and holds the mic like a weapon. It is now a part of his body. He is now the Master of Ceremony.
The Master of Ceremony mumbles his first few words and then starts to rap, KiSwahili and English. The crowd gathered around him is not only in front of him but on his left, on his right, behind him, arms are in the air, he, the microphone, is the center of all the young men now moving to his words. As the mic wanders and wanders through hands and hands the movements gets more intense, some kick, some jump, hands go up and down, drums bang, legs kick, arms fly, words fly, bodies stand still, bodies jump, bodies push up, jump and turn.
– Excerpt of an Essay describing the event: Alvin Abegg, written at Sombetini in Arusha, Tanzania
Video | 16:9 | 1-2 min | stereo sound | swahili, english
Video statements for S.U.A. Arusha, Tanzania
2015
These video statements were commissioned by Saving Underground Artists. S.U.A. is an union of local cultural producers founded in 2012 by Biggie Shirima and Daz Knaledge. In these videos, rappers, artists, producers and hip hop fans were asked to state their message to their community and the people of Arusha.
S.U.A. organizes many things for Arusha; open stages for rappers, beatboxers, and breakdancers, an open air cinema with a focus on documentary filmmaking produced by locals addressing local issues, workshops (as graffiti or poetry writing, filmmaking, beatbox, sound etc.), and lectures. This catalogue of services is funded and organized by the Arushan community, with no backing from government programs. What they aim to do is create a platform for the underground movements in arts and politics, thus interweaving the two fields.
featuring: Wiseman - R'n'B Singer, student - Henry Sangawa - Illuminator, examination coordinator of the British council - Gaëlle Lapostolle - Director of the Alliance Française of Mkurugenzi - Jabu Wa Jabu - Blockbuster, plastic collector - Gabriel Olodi - Traditional music teacher at Makumira University, Tanzania - Lotuno Lomayani aka Umbwa Mzee - Rapper, producer, head of Watengwa Records and Studio - Abdala Said Mshakamari aka DeWee - Beatboxer, drummer - Kamaa Rutta - Rapper, member of X-Plastaz, farmer - Sight More - Rapper, member of KINGS, driver for a butchers shop
Eugen Peter - Rapper, assistant of Biggie Shirima and artist coordinator of S.U.A.
GP - Rapper, poet - Manase Mzava - Rapper, porter on Kilimanjaro mountain
Uthman Shaban - Breakdancer, farmer - Biggie Shirima - Founder and manager of S.U.A. - Robert Babuu Molell - Co-founder and taskmaster of S.U.A. - Jenipha Lucas - Student at Alliance Française of Mkurugenzi, volunteer of S.U.A.