Tanzania’s hip-hop politician
The MC who became an MP: Joseph Mbilinyi – aka Sugu – pioneered Swahili rap and then turned to politics, but ended up in jail.
Joseph Mbilinyi pioneered Swahili rap in the early 1990s, and rose to be one of Tanzania's biggest stars under the stage name Sugu. He released albums, toured the country and abroad, and helped create a new genre called Bongo Flava. He's known for hard-hitting, often political, lyrics. In 2010 he took that message to parliament when he was elected as an opposition MP. But he ended up being jailed after speaking out against the president of the time.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Rob Wilson
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Audio of Sugu's Amsterdam performance and Saleh J recording courtesy of Thomas Gesthuizen.
Credit for audio of Sugu's 30th anniversary celebrations: Wasafi Media.
(Photo: Sugu on stage celebrating 30 years in the music business. Credit: Manifester Brand)
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