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Tanzania’s hip-hop politician

The MC who became an MP: Joseph Mbilinyi – aka Sugu – pioneered Swahili rap and then turned to politics, but ended up in jail.

Joseph Mbilinyi pioneered Swahili rap in the early 1990s, and rose to be one of Tanzania's biggest stars under the stage name Sugu. He released albums, toured the country and abroad, and helped create a new genre called Bongo Flava. He's known for hard-hitting, often political, lyrics. In 2010 he took that message to parliament when he was elected as an opposition MP. But he ended up being jailed after speaking out against the president of the time.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Rob Wilson

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Audio of Sugu's Amsterdam performance and Saleh J recording courtesy of Thomas Gesthuizen.

Credit for audio of Sugu's 30th anniversary celebrations: Wasafi Media.

(Photo: Sugu on stage celebrating 30 years in the music business. Credit: Manifester Brand)

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 Apr 2023 11:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Apr 2023 17:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Apr 2023 21:06GMT
  • Wed 19 Apr 2023 02:06GMT

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