:: louder than swahili

Kina Klothing. Uhuru Street Collection. Kool. Very Kool!

 

Fantastic! Check them out here.

Naledi Fashion House. Dar es Salaam

  

Swahili Street Fashion

 
Yesterday I went  photographing Naledi Fashion House collections.

On Kawawa Road.

Much  more fun than the usual photography I do around here, and the girls rocked!

More vibrant photos to follow, here's just a few.

Panderiro Repique Duo (Brazil) + Carola Kinasha + Ashimba (TZ) - Tanzanian Tour March 2010

Experience two of the best singers in Tanzania together with two of the best percussionists from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, LIVE on tour in Tanzania.

Panderiro Repique Duo (Brazil) + Carola Kinasha (TZ) + Ashimba (TZ)  - Tanzanian Tour March 2010

First concert on the tour is:

Thursday the 11th of march, 20:00 

Masai Camp, Arusha

TSH 5000 only.

Presented by Maisha Music & The Brazilian Embassy

Organized by Alliance Francaise Arusha & Masai Camp

 

Do also read about the launch of the tour last Friday night in Dar es Salaam at Michuzi's blog.

More information about the tour or the performing artists: info@maishamusic.com & www.myspace.com/maishamusictz. 

Ni chumu. Wish me! (or kiss me!)

Finally a kanga which doesn't include the word 'mungu'.

But what does it say?

Big confusion in Uhuru Street last week.

The man selling it to me, said: it means 'kiss me'.

And true the Bengali word chumu does mean kiss according to the Urban Dictionary.

But in Kiswahili it should be 'good luck'.

Also very appropiate, though I got a lot more crazy associations out of the first one. This is gonna be a favorite kanga (among the 100s on board the cargo ship sailing to Denmark). 

DSM. City of nicknames and abbreviations

The inhabitants cut it short to Dar. The street wise dubbed it ‘Bongo’, deriving from ‘ubongo’ which means brain as it supposedly takes brain to cruise the streets of Dar es Salaam.

But literally translated Dar es Salaam really means ‘Haven of Peace’.

Thank you, India (Street)

Another good street in Dar es Salaam. Leads to Morogoro, Zanaki, Algeria, Mosque, Mission and Jamhuri Streets.

Rainbow Hotel...

for rainbow people?

Dar es Salaam. Good excuses

In Copenhagen I say: 'The bridge was up, sorry I'm late!'

Living on the Kigamboni site in Dar I say: 'Two big cargo ships just passed before my eyes.'

CCM. You scare me a little bit...

when you can wear this, anything can go down...

Ah, ah, mimi...I don't want gifts. I want variety!

Mwafrika, I need you again tomorrow!

 

Monday I handed in the keys to my house and my Nissan Hardbody which came with the contract.

Somehow a little traumatising, I must admit, as they made my life in Tanzania so easy.

Rather symbolic, today it all went crazy. 

I'm so priviledged to be staying with a friend who has a really nice house on the Kigamboni site, close to the beach and calm. All I needed to gear down, see people and sort practicalities before I return to Europe. It even comes with a car, called 'Rocky' (or 'Lucky') which I took to town today.

When I drove down Toure Drive I heard a loud gun shut, seconds later realising one of the car tyres had exploded with a big bang.

I've been cruising all over Tanzania for the past two and a half years in my Hardbody without a puncture. Today I had two. The explosion which tore the tyre into two on Toure Drive, and then another one one hour ago returning home to Kigamboni.

No transport officer at MS to call (or to blame for a car with worn out tyres). I had to find a solution by myself. 

I'm a little fascinated what a former development worker can do by herself when she has to (well, someone else (the police officer and an askari at the Danish ambassador's residence) actually changed the tyre - they just took over in this Swahili slow mode way, where they end up with the tools and I go for notes in my bag - and Bashir, the most famous taxi driver unlimited among my friends, lead the way into Livingstone Street and knew exactly what kind of new tyre to ask for.

Praying in the right direction

 
In Dar es Salaam you can buy these fancy mats with inbuild compasses. A guideline follows, telling you how you face the Black Kaba.

A street full of words

In fact, people stumble on them in Dar es Salaam.

Maneno means 'words' in Kiswahili, and in Kisutu close to Uhuru Street there is a street named Maneno Street.

Multi-tasking. The Swahili slow mode way

 
I did a quick visit to Mbagala last week, a little suburb along Kilwa Road.

These two women were multi-tasking big time (in a remote corner of the village).

Selling icecream, listening to the radio, babysitting (easy baby is asleep), playing cards and overviewing older kids and village life.

Laughing.

Really cosy moment.

Hey, hey, stop a second. Just because I'm going home...

I don't stop blogging.

But have patience.

The rule is: 'A new country: A new blog'.

I'll put my new blog out there the latest on March 19.