Music
Peerless
Siti binti Saad
c. 1880 – 1950
The Mother of Taarab, and the first East African woman ever recorded
Peerless is level 1 of 4 in the Tanzania Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
A potter's daughter from a Zanzibar village who sang her way to Bombay's record presses. More than 250 records, in Arabic, Swahili and Hindustani — and she was the first East African vocalist of any kind to record commercially.
Siti binti Saad was born around 1880 and became the first professional taarab singer, performing to large audiences at a time when the form belonged to men and to the court.
In 1928 she signed with an agent for His Master's Voice in Bombay and went on to make more than two hundred and fifty records in Arabic, Swahili and Hindustani — the first East African vocalist to record commercially, and the first East African woman to record at all. Her success carried taarab to audiences across the continent, and she used the songs as an anti-colonial and feminist voice. She opened the way for Bi Kidude and every Zanzibari singer after her, and is remembered as the Mother of Taarab.
In 1928 she signed with an agent for His Master's Voice in Bombay and went on to make more than two hundred and fifty records in Arabic, Swahili and Hindustani — the first East African vocalist to record commercially, and the first East African woman to record at all. Her success carried taarab to audiences across the continent, and she used the songs as an anti-colonial and feminist voice. She opened the way for Bi Kidude and every Zanzibari singer after her, and is remembered as the Mother of Taarab.
- Wikipedia — Siti binti Saad
- Encyclopedia.com — Saad, Siti binti (c. 1880–1950)
- Daily Nation — Celebrating Binti Saad: memories from Zanzibar, home of taarab
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