REVIVING THE RADIO TANZANIA ARCHIVES !

APRIL 3, 2013

NEWSLETTER
NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR Nearly three and a half years ago, I heard muziki wa dansi for the rst time a tune by DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra with an alchemy of horns and electric guitar and vocal melodies that poured from the speakers like liquid gold. A month later I learned about the Radio Tanzania Dar-esSalaam archive at the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, a treasure trove of thousands of tapes with that same music-- and so much more-locked away, unheard for decades. Little did I know the journey those tapes would inspire. About twelve months, countless hours of research, a successful crowdfunding campaign, and a long transatlantic ight later, I was back in Tanzania on a mission to save those tapes, revive the archives and the interest in their contents, and digitize and preserve for posterity the sounds of Tanzanian history. I have been joined by a small group of inspiring and passionate people along the way. Our progress and accomplishments so far are outlined in this newsletter. It hasnt been an easy quest, and we are still behind schedule on beginning the digitization. I didnt foresee all of the challenges of working and living in Tanzania, but the patient support of our Kickstarter backers has allowed us to get this far. We are still as committed as ever to our original mission of seeing the tapes digitized and accessible, and we will work tirelessly toward achieving that goal. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, the voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. We continue onwards, and thank you for being the wind in our sails. - Rebecca Corey

THE PROJECT - A RECAP Radio Tanzania Dar-esSalaam was Tanzanias sole radio station and professional recording studio for the rst twenty-ve years of independence. The archives which contain 100,000 hours of unique material including key political milestones and vital African music have never been digitized from their original reel-toreel, vinyl, cassette, and DAT formats. To lose the archives to re, ood, or simply the elements of time, would be a tragedy for scholars, musicians, historians, music-lovers, and ultimately Tanzania itself. The Tanzania Heritage Project was established in November 2011 and ofcially registered with the Ministry of Community Development of Tanzania in March 2012 as a nongovernmental organization with the mission of preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Tanzania. The rst

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REVIVING THE RADIO TANZANIA ARCHIVES !

major initiative of the Tanzania Heritage Project is the revitalization of the Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam archives through digitalization, dissemination, and community archiving. Specic organizational goals of the project are: ! To contribute to the preservation, recognition, and development of Tanzanian music ! To facilitate sharing of musical, technical and cultural knowledge between Tanzania and other countries ! To inspire musicians to discover, develop and interpret Tanzanian musical traditions

APRIL 3, 2013
! To contribute towards developing a unique Tanzanian musical identity in contemporary music

WHERE WE ARE

Now a fully registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Tanzania, the Tanzania Heritage Project has

built valuable partnerships with key stakeholders. THP has worked to gain the trust of the Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation, becoming a respected

partner in the development of a plan to digitize and preserve the archives reel-to-reel tapes. This is evidenced by THP being one of the sole organizations entrusted to visit the archive, and to share the story of the archive with global media outlets such as NPR and the BBC. Working with chief archivist Bruno Nanguka, THP staff have ascertained the extent of the archives material, gaining a valuable understanding of the scope of the task ahead. Sharing this data with other key organizations such as UNESCO has

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REVIVING THE RADIO TANZANIA ARCHIVES !

APRIL 3, 2013

assisted in the preparation of a road map for achieving the vital work ahead. To ensure this work complements the efforts of other organizations and stakeholders, THP has also developed partnerships with other key groups, including NGOs, (Media for Development International, Art in Tanzania), and Government ministries (COSOTA the copyright society, BASTATA the performing arts council, among others.) THP has also formed a partnership with CHAMUDATA, the musicians union of muziki wa dansi (the style of music dominant in the archive), who have collaborated with the THP on a number of projects, including a workshop on online marketing for artists, and a TV feature for Minibuzz, a popular current affairs / entertainment show. Musicians from CHAMUDTA, all of whom were musicians who recorded at the Radio Tanzania studio, shared their memories and reections with us material that will be invaluable in telling the true story of this remarkable period in Tanzanias history. THP has also built and maintained a number of other partnerships that will make achieving our ultimate goal possible. Having established links with a NEXT STEPS Tanzania Heritage Project is now well placed to move forward and begin achieving our organizational goals. Our plans include the provision of crucial equipment to the TBC, (funded by the Kickstarter campaign) to begin the actual digitization of the tapes in the archive. A full analog to digital workstation, including reel-to-reel player, audio interface, computer, software and monitoring equipment, is being sourced for shipment to the Dar es Salaam. THP will provide support to the TBC while they undertake this painstaking process, also assisting in the surveying,

worldwide network of archivists and audio restoration experts, including projects in Malawi, Afghanistan and Cameroon, the project has a dependable pool of interested parties from which to call on advice and skills. Whats more, interest and support from various academic institu-

Juma Ubao, (CHAMUDATA Chairman) makes a point in an interview with THP)

tions, museums, online platforms, and media and music industry players have bolstered the projects progression.

documentation, training, restoration prioritization and provision of human resources for the successful undertaking of the project. We will also undertake numerous activities designed to provide the maximum exposure to both the Radio Tanzania archive ands the rich and varied musical treasures it contains. This will include the following projects: The production and worldwide commercial release of a series of CDs / vinyl albums of music from the Radio Tanzania archives. THP is working to assist a highly reputable independent world music

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REVIVING THE RADIO TANZANIA ARCHIVES !

APRIL 3, 2013

record label to license and release a number of themed albums focused on the Radio Tanzania archive. These releases will feature extensive sleeve notes

THP will also conduct numerous interviews with artists, engineers, DJs and other people associated with the Radio Tanzania years, creating an online resource covering the many facets of the topic. These interviews will also form the basis of the production of a 30 min documentary lm based around the history of Radio Tanzania, and the digitization project. This video will also be made available to Kickstarter supporters as soon as production is completed. Several workshops, to be facilitated by THP, will be arranged for Tanzanian musicians and artists to stimulate understanding of online promotion, marketing, copyright, and other important topics. These workshops will be available to both older musicians and younger artists, fostering a space in which both generations and interact and share experiences and viewpoints. This will be further strengthened through a project to initiate a musical collaboration between older and younger musicians, ensuring knowledge, skills, and historical memory are passed from one generation and the next.

and images from the period, fully contextualizing the music for a new audience. Licensing and royalties will be handled to fully benet the musicians and rightful copyright owners, providing a valuable revenue stream to some of Tanzanias struggling artists. As a Kickstarter supporter, you will receive a free CD as a small thank you for your patient and continued backing.

IN THE MEDIA THP has received a lot of media coverage over the past few months. Check out our Press page on the website to view articles and hear radio slots from the likes of NPR, Afropop, OkayAfrica, and many more. http://tanzaniaheritageproject.org/press

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