Salum Zahoro

Country	Tanzania

Salum Zahoro (1937–2020) was a Tanzanian singer, songwriter, and solo guitarist who helped build the early foundations of Muziki wa Dansi. Born in Tabora, he started out playing percussion for Kiko Kids Jazz in 1953, eventually teaching himself guitar and taking over as the band's leader. Zahoro wrote many of East Africa's biggest hits of the 1960s and 70s, including "Sili Sishibi," "Wamtetea Bure," and the 1961 independence anthem "Tanganyika na Uhuru."

Even though his music was popular across the region and he recorded heavily in Mombasa and Nairobi, a total lack of copyright laws at the time meant he saw very little money for his work. Frustrated by this exploitation and facing family issues, he walked away from music entirely in 1984. He made a comeback in the early 1990s with Shikamoo Jazz, a group of veteran musicians supported by an international charity. This later phase of his career finally brought him some financial stability and allowed him to tour Europe before he passed away.