Despite lurking in the underground scene of Tanzania’s former capital, Dar es Salaam, for 15 years, Singeli is ready to take over. Marked by its frenetic beats and unrelenting synth melodies, Singeli has evolved from an underground youth scene in the ghettos of Dar es Salaam to a genre of international recognition.
Singeli saw first commercial success with the compilation Sounds of Sisso, released in June of 2017 by Uganda-based label Nyege Nyege. The rise of Sisso Records, the Dar es Salaam hub for Singeli, marks a new page in the development of Singeli. Jay Mitta’s debut album, Tatizo Pesa, which was released on January 11 by Nyege Nyege Tapes, features the fast-paced, frenetic beats for which Singeli is famous, in combination with boastful lyrics influenced by Western hip-hop. The title track for the LP features Dogo Janja, a 14-year-old emcee who is making waves in the community. This track features repetitive, high-energy production from Jay Mitta and vocals from Dogo Janja that are by far the most aggressive to be seen on Nyege Nyege to date.
Sisso Records, managed by another Singeli artist named Sisso, is paving new ground for hip-hop in Tanzania. The music released by Sisso Records in the past two years has a distinctly dark and aggressive sound that separates it from the rest of the Singeli scene. This new breed of Singeli is bursting with teenage angst, punk undertones, a youthful DIY attitude, and a passion for change. Last December, Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian wrote an article exploring and detailing the landscape of Singeli. One of the principal producers of Singeli, Makaveli describes in the article that their music “cuts across society,” and that the goal is to inspire the youth of Tanzania to make something of themselves and to encourage positive change not only in their government, but internationally.
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