It was a magic meeting between traditional Norwegian music and taarab melodies when the two musicians Mohammed Issa “Matona” Haji from Zanzibar and Anne Hytta from Norway performed together at Zanzibar and in Dar es Salaam. Matona played oud and violin while Hytta played the Hardanger fiddle. The musicians were accompanied by Østein Bru Frantzen who played guitar.
The artistic director of the performance was Sigbjørn Nedland in cooperation with the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA).
Tanzania-Norway cooperative projects
The concerts were the outcomes of a three-year agreement between DCMA and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) that was signed in the beginning of January this year.
- The aim of the cooperation is to build institutional and human capacity at the Music Academy in line with its’ strategic plan. A small part of the support shall go to cooperative projects and activities between the Music Academy and the Norwegian Embassy, said the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr. Jon Lomøy, when opening the concert at his residence. The other concert was held at DCMA at Zanzibar.
DCMA opened its music school in Stone Town, Zanzibar in 2002 providing music lessons as well as instruments to anyone interested in studying music or acquiring mastery of an instrument. Particular emphasis is placed on teaching traditional Zanzibar music styles, such as Taarab, Beni and Kidumbak, with most of the teachers coming from Zanzibar.