{{Short description, Music band based in Tabora Region
Tabora Sound Band, formerly known as Tabora Jazz, is a seminal
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
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muziki wa dansi
Muziki wa dansi (in Swahili language, Swahili: "dance music"), or simply dansi, is a Tanzanian music genre, derivative of soukous, Congolese soukous and Congolese rumba. It is sometimes called Swahili jazz because most dansi lyrics are in Swahil ...
band based in
Tabora
Tabora is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian government. It is also the administrative seat of Tabora Urban District. According to the 2012 census, the district had a population of 226, ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
Jeff Finke, ''The Rough Guide to Tanzania'' p. 545 /ref> and led by guitarist Shem Ibrahim Karenga. In the 1970s, their song ''Dada Asha'' was a major hit in Tanzania and
East Africa
East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
.''East Africa: Seventies Music is All the Rage Again'' (African Beats) /ref> They disbanded in the late 1970s but efforts were made to revive the band. So, by early 1980s, it was active again but disbanded in mid 1980s following damage of the instruments by an electric shock. It was later reformed by Shem Karenga as Tabora Jazz Stars. Kassimu Kaluwona, the rythim guitarist of the former band also joined. The band was based in Dar es Salaam.They mainly played classic songs of the former band, Tabora Jazz Band.
Tabora Jazz Band is believed to have influenced the Congolese music. The fast-paced guitar playing of Shem Karenga and Kassimu Kaluwona, manifested in the famous song Dada Asha No 2, was adopted by many Congolese guitarists to create a new musical style, Kwasa Kwasa. Among others, Lokassa ya Mbongo adopted the musical style. The Soukous wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s originated from Tabora Jazz Band and other Tanzanian musical bands such as Super Volcano, Western Jazz Band and Nyanyembe Jazz Band. The bass guitar playing style of Salumu Luzira in the song Dada Asha No.2 has been adopted by many Congolese bassists. The bass style played by Shaba Kahamba in the song 'Ngalula' in the album Soukous Vibration Vol. 1 is a good example of this adoption. Unfortunately, little has been documented on Tanzania's contribution to the development of soukous!