Tanzanian culture is a delightful mix of influences. With over 120 tribes, Tanzania is one of the most culturally diverse countries in all of Africa. From the tall graceful Maasai warriors, to the ancient ways of the Hadza bushmen, to the resourceful agricultural practices of the Wameru, the fascinating array of tribal cultures has always been impressive.

Tanzanian music and dance dominate much of East Africa. Their rhythm-intensive music is well known for hard-hitting lyrics, and a vibrant dance-band scene keeps the country's Swahili-based sounds active and popular. On the island of Zanzibar, the traditional Swahili sung poetry, "Taarab", is also very popular. Each of the 120 different tribes in Tanzania has their own artistic skills. For example the Makonde are famous for ebony carvings of masks, and the Masai are known for the artistic designs on their shields. Carvings on the doors of the old stone houses in Zanzibar reflect the country's Arab heritage.

The storytelling tradition has thrived for generations because of the absence of printed material. Folk tales prepare young people for life, as there are many lessons to be learned from the tales.

Tanzania has a very rich, diverse, and sophisticated folklore. Each ethnic group has a store of myths, legends, folk tales, riddles, proverbs, and sayings that embody culture and tradition and are an important element in Tanzanian cultural heritage.

Storytelling is tremendously important in African societies, serving a far more diverse purpose than simply entertainment. Teaching lessons of religion, morals, history, roles, and societal codes, the practice builds strong bonds and commonality among generations.

 

Traditions Remain Strong

 

Despite increasing foreign contact, Tanzania has persistently maintained its cultural heritage. Ancient rituals and customs are still observed by many tribes and daily life largely follows traditional practices. Life's most important events, birth, puberty, marriage, and death, are all celebrated through age-old traditional ceremonies. In marriage, for example, the custom of giving dowry's is still respected. The aspiring groom still acquires his bride by giving cows, goats, local brew, hoes or machetes to his delighted father-in-law.

Yet, the practice of arranged marriages is gradually disappearing in many places, particularly the towns and cities. Here the younger generation is often free to marry for love alone. Today it is no longer strange for a Nilotic Luo from the shores of Lake Victoria to meet and marry a Bantu Ngoni from Lake Nyasa, even though traditional procedures will be adhered to on both sides. And, once married, old customs prevail.

The man is the master in the home and in all family matters. Most tribal traditions also allow him to marry more than one wife if he so wishes, although the advert of Christianity and modem civilization has convinced most to be content with just the one. Even Moslems, whose Islamic faith allows polygamy, are settling more and more for a one-wife family.

In Tanzania, as in many other African countries, the family is an extended one, including cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and even in-laws. The family clan remains a strong entity in most tribes. Family disputes are resolved by a panel made up of clan members and all events, be they happy or sad, are shared by the whole clan.

While changes are slowly affecting the lives of many Tanzanians, there are still some tribes who have remained untouched by modern life. The aboriginal bushmanoid Wa-Tindiga tribe even now exist mainly on roots and from hunting. Their homes are still the ancient, underground shelters they have always used. Another tribe, The Wa-Barbaig, are exclusively "pastoralists" living off meat and milk. Gradually, however, these tribes are responding to efforts by the government to resettle them in modern villages complete with medical and educational facilities.

Themes in Storytelling Because of the history of this large continent, which includes the forceful transplanting of the people into slavery on other continents, many of the same folk tales exist in North America, South America, and the West Indies. The folktale is usually told for nighttime entertainment. Folktales feature human beings and animals, either separately or together. They are often employed for social commentary and instruction and also serve as a potent means of affirming group values and discouraging antisocial behavior. The animals and birds take on human characteristics of greed, jealousy, honesty, loneliness, etc. Through their behavior, many valuable lessons are learned. Also, the surroundings in which the tales take place reveal the vastness of the land and educate the reader about the climate, such as the dry season when it hasn't rained for several years, or the rainy season when the hills are slick with mud. A popular story type is the trickster tale, which features a small but wily animal that employs its cunning to protect itself against much larger and more powerful animals. Examples of animal tricksters are Anansi, a spider in the folklore of the Ashanti people of Tanzania and Ghana; Ŕjŕpá, a tortoise in Yoruba folklore of Nigeria; and Sungura, a hare found in central and East African folkloree. Anansi the Spider is one of the major trickster figures in African folk tales. This spider can be wise, foolish, amusing, or even lazy--but always there is a lesson to be learned from Anansi. The spider tales have traveled from Africa to the Caribbean Islands. Legends tell of cultural heroes and important ancestors who were intelligent, courageous and generous. Young people learn about these illustrious ancestors through story telling. Among the Bahaya, the young groom researches his family history that has been preserved and passed down through legends and chooses an important ancestor that he will try to emulate and that will be his role model. In a very real sense, these ancestors participate and influence the lives of people today. Heroes also include ritual specialists, not just political heroes. Among the Maasai, for example, there is a traditional healer and ritual expert who is an important character in legends. The Chagga, who live on the slopes of Mt. Kilamanjero tell many stories about the mountain; one of them is the story of Kibo and Mawenzi, the names of the two peaks. Kibo was very careful with her food while Mawenzi was a spendthrift and did not worry about storing and saving food for lean times. When she did not have enough to eat she would visit her sister Kibo and Kibo would always feed her. After three days in a row of Mawenzi coming over to beg for food, Kibo in anger hit her on the back with a spoon, this explains Mawenzi's rugged appearance today. Other folk tales recount the exploits of Hare and Tortoise. In one story, Hyena and Rabbit agree to kill their mothers and sell their flesh in order to survive a famine. While Hyena kills his mother, the Rabbit repents and hides his mother until the Hyena dies of hunger. Some believe that this tale represents problems of authority between categories of men in a matrilineal clan. Rabbit represent a junior male and Hyena a senior. Many of the folk tales have musical participation by the audience that adds much to the tale. It is common for the audience to answer questions aloud, to clap their hands in rhythm to word repetition (chorus), and to join in the chorus. The audience participation cannot be cut short, or the audience will let the storyteller know it. Some of the tales have a repetitive quality to them (such as, the same chorus may be used repeatedly) because the audience wants to enjoy the story and participate in the experience for as long as possible. Tanzanian Folklore One of the most entertaining examples of Tanzanian folklore for the visitor must be the traditional dances, ngomas, now performed on many tourist itineraries. Depicting day to day activities, customary traditions, or even a particular traditional event or occasion, these colorful dances are performed with great hair. The Kiswahili word "ngoma" comes from the great drum, which is the main instrument used in any musical accompaniment to the dances. Bare hands or sticks beat out a rhythm for the dancers to follow. This basic african sound many be enhanced through the use if various other instruments besides the drum. These include flutes, xylophones, whistles, animal horns as trumpets, the marimba, the panjo, or even mango stones tied to the dancers' legs. Dance styles vary from tribe to tribe. The Wa-Makonde vibrate their bottoms in a Sindimba frenzy. The Wa-Zaramo bounce in undulating Mdundiko processions. The unique Wa-Maasai "leaping dance" is accompanied only by the rhythmic chant of their deep voices. Dance costumes are just as exciting often even frightening to behold. Face paint, spiritual masks, or stilts transforming dancers into walking giant ghosts are all used to great effect, the most incredible of all being the live snake "costume" worn by the Wa-Sukuma in their gobogobo dance. Traditionally believed to be snake charmers, the Wa-Sukuma, their bodies draped in the coils of a lethal, sometimes exceptionally large, reptile, wriggle to the drum beat before stunned spectators. The dance involves embracing the reptiles and struggling with them. True to the old adage that music stimulates them, the snakes become increasingly excited as the tempo increases, their wild gyrations often scattering the terrified audience.