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Out Now

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Mario Swagga & DJ Silila

"Mapenzi Digital (Digital Love)"

 on all digital streaming services world-wide & Bandcamp

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        Combining an Afro-Punk do it yourself attitude, lyrics which tell of the fun and                          complexity of young people’s lives in Dar es Salaam as well as the energy and

         vibrancy of their driving drums Mario Swagga and DJ Silila have a truly distinctive

         and original sound. Coming from the informal settlements of Kiwalani, Dar es Salaam            Mario Swagga and DJ Silila’s music captures the restless energy of young people in                     this growing metropolis. This is music to get moving to as Mario sings in

          Party La Uhakika (Epic Party) “Party as hard as you can, party with the vibe, this is an                      epic party”.

          Singeli, a new electronic music genre originates at street parties called vigodoro held                  in Dar es Salaam’s informal settlement. Created using the computer programme              Virtual DJ, singeli is made when DJ’s cut, looped and sped up sections of older                                     Tanzanian recordings, generating their own unique sonic landscape. This                soundtrack typically evolves over an hour of live performance with singers freestyle                   lyrics over the top of the frantic beats. Singeli creates an Afro-futurist sound through            reassembling the sounds of the past. Fusing the unique melodies of Taarab, with the                energetic drums of Mnanda and the singular sound of the Mario Swagga’s lyrical style             it combine an electronic aesthetic with the traditional sounds of Tanzania.                             Coming from the Kiwalani district of Dar es Salaam Mario Swagga started performing           at street parties in 2009. Performing across Dar es Salaam Mario was named by                          crowds      after the footballer Mario Balloteli because on the stage he possessed                some of the same confidence, attitude and swagger. As his reputation grew Mario                  began to perform at events organized by Clouds FM and was in 2016 crowned the                     number one Singeli singer in Dar es Salaam at Fiesta Singeri Michano. Mario’s name has gone on to spread across the city and is now ready to travel even further afield.

 

       Recording their songs in their studio, which also doubles as DJ Silila’s one room living             space Mario and DJ Silila perform at Vigodoro across the city. The frantic sound of                        Singeli is perhaps

         closest to early jungle but has a uniquely African aesthetic.

 

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