Kiswahili poetry has changed significantly from one point of time to thenext due to different factors. Unlike the past, it is said that today`s Kiswahili poetry is losing its ground. Our columnist Gerald Kitabu talkedto Salehe Sharif, a local poet on the state of Kiswahili poetry in thecountry.
Q: Being one of the poets, what can you say about the current status ofKiswahili poetry?
A: Well, frankly speaking there is a very big difference between the poetry we used to know in the old days and that of today. First of all the famous poets such as Shaban Robert, Jinamizi, Adam Shaffi, Amri Sudi Andanenga, Abdallah Shamte (Mtumwa wa Mungu) and Said Salimu Mwachaka hada rich vocabulary of Kiswahili words and they mastered the language well.
They had a high level of understanding and analyzing the words and the language itself. The choice of words used in their poetry from time to time was enough charm to attract a reader to keep on reading Kiswahili poetry now and then.
They language they used appealed to the emotions of he readers. But nowadays the words and phrases are used haphazardly. They have lost that passion, those ingredients which produced the flavour.
However, I must confess that there are still many poets today who are good but they lack publicity, something which would have helped them to make their mark in field of Kiswahili poetry.
The former poets had written a number of books which gave them popularity. Their books were sold and used in primary and secondary schools. This helped to promote their work.
Q: In the past Kiswahili poetry was compulsory in schools but with the influence of English language and mushrooming of international schools today, it is not the case. What is your opinion?
A: Let me say that Kiswahili is an attractive language, unique with its own tints which cannot be found in other languages. However, the cherished language has been kicked out by other foreign languages in our communities.
After accepting foreign languages to be taught in our schools as the medium of instruction especially in international schools, it is now clear that Kiswahili poetry is losing ground.
I would prefer Kiswahili as a medium of instruction in our schools to English or French. It is the indigenous language which people can understand easily.
Why do Tanzanians feel very proud of speaking English? As I am talking now, our Kiswahili has no direction. It is like a lost sheep.
I don`t believe that foreign countries like England, France and USA love Kiswahili the same way we love their language. Nowadays, school children and parents walk shoulders high because they speak English.
After all understanding English doesn`t mean that one is educated; it is just a language like ours. The only important thing is to go back to the roots, teach our children Kiswahili right from nursery school; otherwise we are jeopardizing our culture and the future generation.
Q: How did you develop interest in poetry?
A: I love poetry very much. At first I was moved by works of the famous poets like Abdallah Shamte also known as Mtumwa wa Mungu from Mombasa, In Kenya.
Abdallah Shamte was a real icon poet using Mvita dialect to deliver his message. I loved his parlance especially its coastal tints.
Let me say that, Kiswahili has many dialects which are used along the coastal regions such as Mrima, Kingovi, Kihamu and Kitang´ata.
These communities living along the East African coast range from Mombasa,Tanga to Zanzibar. However, being a Swahili speaker myself, I strongly disagree with people who say there is Bantu Kiswahili.
It is not true because Kiswahili speaking people have their own vernacular languages such as Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Chaga, Makonde, Zaramo, Fipa, Ngoni etc if there is such culturally rich languages, where does Bantu kiswhaili come from?.
I can tell you that almost half of Kiswahili words have their roots in Arabic. Words like ``abrud tafadhali, sarawili,`` these words were perceived as hebu, rudi, tafadhali and suruali by a Swahili speaker respectively.
Q: You have said that you are a sound creator, what do you mean?
A: I mean creating sounds using my own poetry. I do this before recording in the studio. I usually identify the tone of the music whether charanga, zuku, ragga or rumba. Then I work with a music producer to process it using my own melody.
If I don`t want to sing for myself, I usually invite any singer who can master very well my poetry and sounds to do it for me.
Thereafter, the music is mixed up before it can be heard, or aired in radio stations and televisions in form of audio.
Q:How do you benefit from poetry?
A: As I am speaking to you today, I have not benefited much other than respect from people and other musicians who consult me for their music.
When you look at many famous songs that I have composed so far, I have not registered any benefits.
The problem is that I used to compose poems for other people like the new generation musicians but when these people release their albums, my contribution is ignored and sometimes I am never paid.
I am now working on my own songs under a certain recording studio. I think through this way I will be able to benefit.
Q. Any problems encountered in the course of your poetry?
A: As I said earlier, when I compose the poems and it happens that I give them to someone to sing, that person would say he is the one who composed the poems and the music. My name and my efforts would never be appreciated.
For example the Bongo Flava or the new generation music, these artistes would completely ignore my contributions although, I am the one helping them to make their music sound better in terms of the verses and the in general.
They don`t appreciate the fact that most of the poems they use in their music are composed by other people like me but they will never mention those who helped them.
Q: So do you want to tell us that poetry doesn`t pay?
A: Poetry doesn`t pay much. We are just enriching other people. I can tell you that my former teachers who taught me poetry and who were very rich in poetry have all abandoned it.
They are Twaha Kamari and Alimu Bajala, who are all residents of Msambweni in Tanga region. They are now engaged into other income generating activities after realizing that there is no profit in poetry.
At first they were discouraged by few people who were using their work to enrich themselves while the composers remained poor. For example they used to write their poems in some newspapers but the return was very little and sometimes they were never paid at all.
Q: Why is it that some artistes for the new generation music can`t composetheir own music?
A: Most of them don`t understand the uses of Kiswahili words and phrases. You will find that words and phrase are placed or mixed haphazardly or simply jumbled up, which means it is very difficult to get the intended meaning.
They are still young yet they don`t want to learn more about this language which is rich of words. For example you may listen to a particular music but what you get from it has totally different meaning and it doesn`t educate or entertain.
A good song is the one that uses Kiswahili similes or metaphorical languages. Short of that it might be very dangerous to children who quickly grasp things but cannot sort out what is good and what is bad.
Q; Can you tell us some of your best compositions?
A:There are Many! They include Kibuyu, Jogoo, Sauti ya Mahaba which scooped the best Song Award during Kilimanjaro Music Award in 2007, Mapenzi ya Kisirani and One Love.
I have also composed other songs like Zee la Nyeti, Poleni and Kisu. I have played a very important role as a music consultant but without much benefit. In most cases I was doing this under humanitarian grounds.
Q: Has Kiswahili poetry been affected by globalization?
A: Frankly speaking, western culture interference has spoiled our poetry much. Most musicians sing poems without using similes which is number one rule.
There is no mastery of the language. When you compose a song using metaphorical language, it gives a listener time to analyze the meaning of the poems and the music.
Similes help, among other things, to hide the real meaning so that children cannot be able to grasp the intended meaning immediately when the song is sung.
Unlike the past, nowadays the songs go naked without such similes, hence polluting the children instead of building them.
Q; Future plans?
A: So far, I have composed about six hundred poems. My target is to compose a total of one thousand poems which I will publish into a book so as to restore the lost glory.
Q: Any advice?
A: I would like to advice the National Arts Council of Tanzania to establish poetry inspection council to oversee the misuse of words mainly by the new generation and Taarab musicians.
One of the tasks should be to check the quality of music and proper use ofKiswahili words and phrases before being taken to the studio for recording.
Some of the words as they are used by these musicians end up spoiling the youth and children in our society. If this situation is given a blind eye as it is today, Kiswahili will end up in a total mess.
SOURCE: Guardian (Tanzania)
More on Kiswahili: The Use of an African Language as a Language of Instruction at University Level: The Example of Kiswahili Department at the Univeversity of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
More on Kiswahili: Kiswahili as a National and International Language
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