Everybody talks about Mzungu Kichaa. A young white man making music in Kiswahili.
This morning I talked to Espen Sørensen, aka Mzungu Kichaa, after he finished checking the sound at the stage in the Old Fort, preparing himself for the concert tonight.
While waiting, a group of young, Tanzanian journalists explained to me what makes Mzungu Kichaa different: ‘He sings about life as it is. Not just about love stuff. He sings about normal things, so that the people in the streets understand and can relate to it.’
Another thing, which makes Espen, who is Danish by nationality, different, is that he sings in Kiswahili, and that he does it perfectly. In fact, the Tanzanians are amazed.
It is a big thing to be invited to perform at the Sauti za Busara, but Espen is relaxed.
‘I have a fantastic feeling. It is great to play in Zanzibar, because people know me here.’
A lot has happened since last year's Sauti za Busara, where Espen then gave a small concert at the Livingstone Beach Restaurant. The concert then unfortunately collided with the big name of last year’s Sauti za Busara, Natasha Atlas.
Tonight he has been given one of the best placements in the programme, right after South African Thandiswa. I ask him what is means to him to play at the Sauti za Busara:
‘This is a huge mile stone to me,’ he explains, and continues: ‘It is a big scene and here’s a lot of media attention.'
Espen has worked overtime since last year, and he has already created a lot of media hype in both Denmark and East Africa where he is promoting his music.
'There's a huge difference between Denmark and Tanzania. It is really hard to build up a career as a musician in Tanzania,' he says andd explains that in Denmark rules are rules, people keep the time, whereas it can all be bent in Tanzania. In Tanzanian it is also a bigger investment as it takes more money for i.e. equipment.
One of the things which has made a difference since last year was the release of the album 'Tuko Pamoja', and the 'Jitolee' music video which was shot in Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam. The video made it to the Top 10 on the Tanzanian music video charts, and raised Mzungu Kichaa's popularity in Tanzania significantly.
Watch the video here:
Espen has spent many years in Africa, he grew up in Zambia and moved to Tanzania with his family when he was 15. His parents have worked with development in rural Africa, and Espen learnt to speak Kiswahili and he engaged in the culture. He points that the in order to to achieve respect in a certain culture you have to get into it.
This is also part of the reason why Espen was dubbed 'kichaa'. A nickname from his early days on the Tanzanian underground scene.
The Tanzanians normally use the word 'kichaa' for the things they find crazy or odd. Espen explains that it was given to him in a positive spirit, and that it can also mean unique or unusual:
'Being called 'mzungu' is usually not a positive thing, but I think I have broken a barrier, and I am proud of the name,' Espen explains.
What we don't see in Tanzania is Espen's work for promoting East African music in Denmark. Another important part of Espen's agenda is namely to create more space for different cultures in the public space.
Espen plays tonight at the Sauti za Busara at 23:00 - and if you cannot make it, check him out here.
