Wahenga – A Documentary Film
The Tanzania Heritage Project is currently co-producing a documentary feature film called ‘Wahenga‘, which means ‘the Ancestors’ in kiSwahili.
‘Wahenga‘ follows John Kitime, a Tanzanian musician now in his 60s, as he sets out on a mission to put together an all-star band from the old days to revive the classic Tanzanian sound. Along the way, he meets the people who played key roles in the music scene of Tanzania during the struggle for independence and the nation’s formative years under the first president, Julius K. Nyerere. As John plays with the band, spends time with musicians, and digitizes reel-to-reel tapes from the 1960s and 70s, he reveals a fascinating and little-known story about the power of music to bring together a people and a nation.
The film was one of six films selected this year by the Docubox East Africa Film Fund to receive support and funding to go into production. The film is co-produced by Kijiweni Productions.
Amil Shivji (co-producer with Rebecca Corey) talks about the Wahenga documentary to Smart Monkey TV
Tanzania’s oldies are called “Zilipendwa” in Swahili which means “the ones that were loved.”
Will they be loved again?