Bi Kidude, the prestigious WOMEX award winner died in Bububu on Wednesday where she was living under the care of her relatives in the last few months. Her remains were taken to the Zanzibar central mosque 'Mushawar' in the Stone Town before driving to Kitumba.
Mourners including Taarab music lovers, artistes from both, Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania, as well as top leaders led by President Kikwete braved few minutes rain to bury Bi Kidude at Kitumba village.
Other leaders who opted not to miss escorting the Taarab legendary to her last journey were Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein, First and Second Vice-Presidents-- Seif Sharif Hamad and Seif Ali Iddi respectively, and the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Said Meck Sadiki.
Music promoters led by officials from the Sauti za Busara Music Festival, were also at the funeral. Prior to the burial ceremony, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ali Abdallah Ali, postponed the House session to allow lawmakers to attend the funeral.
Several mourners like Omar Abdallah blamed promoters and the public for leaving Bi Kidude die poor with little attention to her health, others insisted that Bi Kidude's legacy should be honoured in various ways.
The government was fully involved in funeral arrangement and the Zanzibar Minister responsible for entertainments, Said Ali Mabrouk, said: "We have lost the great musician." Bi Kidude was in bed since last November, suffering from different complications including urinary and bladder disorders and aging.
She was estimated to be more than 90 years old. Bi Kidude was born in Mfagimaringo village and began singing at a very early age in the 20s. In 1930 she moved to Dar es Salaam and joined the Egyptian Musical Club and toured a number of towns in the then Tanganyika. In 1940 she went back to Zanzibar and continued her very long history in music.
In her life Bi Kidude performed in every continent in the world. In 2005 Bi Kidude received the prestigious WOMEX award for her outstanding contribution in music (in Arabic and Swahili) and culture in Zanzibar. The WOMEX Awards also known as World Music Expo Award is an established award for World music.
It was first introduced in 1999 to honour the high points of world music on an international level and to acknowledge musical excellence, social importance, commercial success, political impact and lifetime achievement.
Source: All Africa.com
