4 The Mzinga

4 The Mzinga loosely translates to ‘for the palm wine’, and it represents th e spirit of
their performances, which they would do in exchange for a bottle of palm wine (or
more!) for each band member. A band from Kilifi in Coastal Kenya, say they play Mtamwe music, a
Giriama style of downtempo dance music that is very polyrhythmic, yet still
capturing the soulful melodics of the Midzikenda. It is built on rich off-rhythms and
very repetitive singing, the main form being call and answer. Mtamwe was
traditionally performed by the youth during palm wine drinking festivals, and it was
an avenue to casually express themselves without offending the clan. Their main instruments of choice are the Marimba (their main harmonic instrument),
the kivoti (flute) the ndonga (shakers) and the chapuo, a type of midzikenda drum
(though the marimba plays the double function of percussive drum and harmony
due to the texture of its timbre). Malimbo, who is also the band leader by default,
sings in a ‘rapping’ style, giving the call, which is to be repeated by the band.Their
songs are long, and their performances can go on for hours, with nary any stopping
until they finished their show. They would essentially mix between their songs the
way a DJ would.