Bongo Flava

Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian hip hop music. The genre, which is based out of the city of Dar es Salaam, takes its name from the Swahili word 'ubongo,' meaning “brains”. Bongo Flava incorporates Afrobeat and arabesque melodies, dancehall and hip hop beats, Swahili lyrics and English phrases, combining aspects of the global hip hop scene with an East African flavor to form a unique style of music. The genre has immense popularity, reflected in the Tanzanian media outlets dedicated to the promotion of Bongo Flava.