Get down and dance to the new beats of the shubidu shubidu style!

Playing "muziki wa dansi", modern guitar music from Tanzania and "mduara" East African coastal rhythms, Tamarind Band was established early in 2005. The group, featuring 14 members, has already made enormous impact largely thanks to the guidance of their lead vocalist and main composer, Juma Malembeka.

The group was formed in Zanzibar but these days are based mostly in Dar, where making a modest living from music is more realistic. They perform weekly at Mango Garden (Kinondoni) and Sungu Chine (Mwenge). Their first album, Moto wa Tamarind, was launched in 2006 and its title track as well as Safari and Mwari are regular features on the playlists of many Tanzanian radio stations. They have also released two videos, which made a major impact in what is an extremely competitive market. Tamarind Band are on the rise and already posing a major challenge to the likes of African Stars Band and Msondo Music band. The group was a surprise hit due to their theatrical dance and instrumental mastery when they performed at Sauti za Busara festival 2006, mixing Wagogo traditions with rumba flavour, and went down really well with all the local audience as well as international guests.

"Our plan is to continue to work hard and to concentrate on also building the international market", says Hafidh Badou, band owner.

Their songs are about real life, for example the song Mbeleko (a cloth women use to carry their babies) is about the good advice someone gets from their parents that guides him/her through their day-to-day life struggles.