Reception, performance and creation

: musical activism for cultural heritage as a Tanzanian popular musician

Abstract

Yo!
This ain't just theory, it's practice in play,
Where beats meet books and the rhymes light the way.
Popular music, Bongo Fleva in the zone,
Turnin' heritage to lyrics, so the message hits home.

Academia? It’s dope, but it stays in the clouds,
While the people in the streets never hear it out loud.
So, I bridge that gap with a rhythm and rhyme,
Translatin’ deep knowledge through the pulse of our time.

I asked three questions to spark this sound:
(One) How can music keep traditions around?
(Two) How do we break borders, both stage and mind?
And (Three) how can workshops leave no one behind?

A creative practice, that’s my lens to the scene,
From Kilwa to the cyphers where the crowds convene.
Old songs meet new, like Your Story Your vibe,
Where songwriting and stories keep cultures alive.

Kilwa Yetu ain’t a track - it’s a movement, a wave,
Boostin’ tourism, clean’ beaches, ancestors praised.
More than melodies, it’s action on the ground,
Where communities create the most powerful sound.

So, music ain't universal, not a language, per se,
But a bridge we can build, if we frame it the right way.
From Instagram lives to the stage where I stand,
The mic in my grip and the world in my hand.

This PhD’s the proof, expression and fight,
A convo with the past, while I rap for what's right.
Between yesterday and tomorrow, I’m holdin' it strong,
A scholar, an activist, and my life’s work in song.

Date of Award	2 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	C. Richard Bates (Supervisor) & Bede Williams (Supervisor)