On my last day in Dar es Salaam, while convalescing from a mild case of food poisoning, I recorded this song, shot this music video, and made it to the airport on time. (Now I am back in New York, where I will feel accomplished if I remember to wake up from my afternoon nap). This is my first foray into singeli music, a sped-up spinoff of mchiriku music, which is itself a modern take on the traditional music of the Zaramo people indigenous to the region of Dar es Salaam. I think it’s the hottest stuff coming out of East Africa right now – in fact my daughter can instantly discern an mchiriku beat as “Daddy’s work music” since I rarely listen to anything else while trying to make myself write. If you find yourself digging its frenetic melodies, there are many artists far less gimmicky than myself you should check out!