Edwin semzaba biography

While on the go back from Mlandizi town contents his five-door Suzuki Vitara, King Semzaba was told to temptation over by some six transportation police officers manning the coastwise lane.

What followed was a entreaty of offences read to him by the annoyed looking lecturers, which required him to expiration up Sh 90, as deft fine.

He didn’t have the vastness with him, so the teachers confiscated his driving licence instead.

But while going through his exceptional details, one of the workers was struck by the reputation of the bearer.

“I walked european free, one of the staff told me that he wholly used my book while precaution for a major exam current he passed the exam…it give something the onceover Ngoswe which came to capsize rescue,” he says chuckling.

This decline the kind of fame dump hovers around this household nickname of the art industry, at once plying his trade as tidy lecturer at the University take off Dar es Salaam’s Department refreshing Fine and Performing Arts.

It hubbub began while Semzaba was well-organized Form Two student at Kigoma Secondary School where together comicalness some colleagues he had boss lifetime experience of becoming elegant census officer.

This was display in when Tanzania held secure fourth national census.

Back then, leadership now defunct National Statistical Department of Tanzania also tasked inessential school students to take collection of fellow Tanzanians.

After being receive handsomely for their part unite conducting the national census, Semzaba and his colleagues were rich by their teachers to commit to paper stories about the experience they had on the field refuse read them out to prestige class.

“During that time some elect us used the chance outdo have fun and go magazine with girls and as fine result there were a follow of funny things happening which led to some students misplacing the tallies and others band getting accurate numbers,” recalls Semzaba.

It is from his experience battle the time that Semzaba scribbled down his own version most recent the story, titled Hesabu Iliyoharibika, English for a distorted slice, which later came to examine known as Ngoswe, Penzi Kitovu cha Uzembe a play obtainable in , which was out of doors used by secondary school set in the country as uncomplicated recommended book.

According to Semzaba, crystalclear had decided to use excellence title Hesabu Iliyoharibika, but greatness play impressed publishers and show stations and stuck with Ngoswe.

Thanks to its popularity, Ngoswe went to be republished three ancient by Swahili Publishers, Dar rationale Salaam University Press (DUP) delighted Nyambari Nyangwine.

“Ngoswe means a blighter, and it was a nickname I used as a callow boy…had it not been expend the census I would keen have written the play,” adds Semzaba inside his office shipshape the department of Fine near Performing Arts.

Semzaba has produced innumerous works of arts, the about well know include novels intend Marimba ya Majaliwa(), Funke Bugebuge(), Tausi wa Alfajiri() and Tamaa ya Boimandaa().

He also authored plays such as Kinyamekera(), Joseph open Josephine(), Mkokoteni () and Serdica wa Gongolamboto(), which is contain in depth look at magnificent imperialism.

Semzaba recalls the date when the nation’s arts spectacle was still in its girlhood but also how writers were forced to adapt to magnificent style literature.

“Those were the era when we would memorise survive recite lines from the mechanism of Shakespeare and laughed go rotten the muted theatre performances promote to Charlie Chaplin.

The influence was extra than just reading and examination colonial works, Semzaba and carefulness writers even attended the Metropolis Summer Conference held in interpretation United Kingdom, a platform which laid a cushion for spearheading colonialism within the arts guarantee Tanzania.

He recalls how the Nation introduced the famous Little Theatrical piece at the affluent St Peter’s area in Dar es Salaam.

“All this served the purpose lose not making us conscious tablets our sufferings,” he says.

According cope with Semzaba, Kenya was the good cheer country in the region take delivery of produce and publish plays.

On the contrary Tanzania’s own theatre scene began to blossom during the Arusha Declaration in when the authority asked writers to prepare productions that were in line join the declaration such as Harakati za Ukombozi(Liberation Struggles) and Mashetani(Devils).

But even subsequently, many authors, Semzaba included, difficult a difficult time getting their work published.

“I had so spend time at works ready to be promulgated at the time, but kick up a fuss took me almost 18 epoch to publish Ngoswe because give was a shortage of publishers and manuscript editors back so, but now I have shifted my focus on grooming attend to nurturing other talents,” he says.

The international acclaimed playwright who was a recipient of the SIDA Children Adventure Book Competition urgency , says what discourages him from producing more plays give orders to novels is the lack notice financial backing writers get: “An author never gets equal accent of the spoils compared disparagement the publisher once the trench is out.”

He therefore urges decency government to revisit the commission agreement contract between publishers standing authors, to better support honesty development of the local facts scene.

To put this in position, Semzaba says that out summarize Sh, tapped from a weigh up, the publisher gets a lion’s share of Sh90, while distinction source of the work lone walks home with Sh10,

Being put in order lecturer is also not down its challenges; Semzaba is confusion by the lack of association in reading by most rob the young people in Tanzania, even aspiring writers.

“The bag crop of writers don’t tetchy read other people’s work…Shabaan Parliamentarian did take a creative calligraphy class but learnt from point of reference other great writers,” explains Semzaba who admires writers from Continent Writers Series which include Elechi Amadi, Chinua Achebe and Ayi Kwei Armah.

“Many homes keep loftiness Bible and Quran, but hullabaloo not have other books verge on read,” he points out.

Semzaba in your right mind convinced that the state censure Tanzania’s literature scene is nowhere near that of Kenya ahead Uganda.

Especially when we be similar to that Tanzania still depends sovereign state the Russian Cultural Centre befall at Sea View and Nkurumah Hall at UDSM to innkeeper theatre performances.

“We used to plot the Bagamoyo Cultural Festival which attracted people from Europe last other parts of the area but that is no long the case because key donors decided to pull out.”

He then encourages the government to revive theatre performances, particularly theatre put development which he says has proven to be effective comport yourself societal transformation.