Terrific Taarab of Tanzania

We are so grateful for Zanzibari taarab, a stunning example of the mix of East African, Arabic, Persian and South Asian influences found in Eastern Africa. Taarab is dramatic Swahili orchestral music of Tanzania (specifically of Zanzibar) that features instruments from several continents: Middle Eastern oud and dumbek, Indian tabla, western electric keyboards, and the a Japanese taishokoto, described as “a banjo/typewriter key hybrid.”