Siti of Unguja: Romance Revolution on Zanzibar

Siti Muharam is the greatgranddaughter of Siti Binti Saad, the woman who turned taarab from the inaccessible music of the sultan's palace into the people's sound of Zanzibar. It's a great legacy to shoulder, and with this debut, Siti Muharam more than rises to the occasion. Her voice occupies the same territory as a Bollywood diva or Billie Holiday; with that same easy but powerful grace. The rest of the ensemble is just as intoxicating, and together they take taarab to another level. They look back to its origins and maintain a real vintage feel while lighting a path for potential new directions for the style. The addition of bass clarinet and double bass lend a noir-jazz slinkiness and alongside the subtlest of electronics, the feeling is of traditional music finding a comfortable home in the year 2020, rather than any self-conscious ‘fusion.’ Siti Muharam and her group are in command of a music that's both stately and spicy, and in continuing a great taarab lineage, they've made something very special. Once I'd listened to Siti of Unguja, I was already excited to listen to it again.