'OUR VOICES ARE WHAT MAKE US SO UNIQUE - I had to find mine'

The career of singer-songwriter and musician Mim Suleiman was launched in the UK – her adopted home – but her eclectic, soulful dance music is soaked in the sounds of her early years in Zanzibar. She sings mostly in Swahili, plays a range of traditional instruments and champions the work of pioneering taarab ‘sisters’. Here, Mim talks about new album ‘Si Bure’, growing up in Stone Town and why her music cannot be categorised.

The cover image of Mim Suleiman’s latest album, ‘Si Bure’

Q: Can you tell me about your memories growing up in Zanzibar and what part music played in your life then?

A: My family left Pemba to start a life in Unguja while I was very young. The majority of my childhood was spent in Shangani, Stone Town.

I attended Tumekuja Primary School then Hamamni Secondary. My childhood was rich – full of barefooted events, cuts and bruises, Creativity was part of our play. We made our own toys, dolls, wheels, balls and cars. When there was no electricity there were storytelling sessions with candles. Often the stories were told before bedtime. Sometimes they were scary. I remember not being able to sleep until the sun rose, scared that the monster with donkey’s feet was coming for me. I loved it though. I wouldn’t have it any other way. All just perfectly splendid!

Music has always been a big part of my existence. My generation were lucky enough to be exposed to not only the local music but also international. Music videos in the 1970s and 1980s were more accessible as televisions and video players were becoming popular in Zanzibar. Great music was coming from all angles. Basically, it was just Bruce Lee movies and breakdancing. Parties were being thrown left right and centre. Zanzibar was vibing.

Q: Your music today draws on your East African heritage, but I have read you did not find your musical voice until you came to the UK. Why do you think this was?

A: Well, I did not come from a musical background. There is no family member that I know of who plays any instruments. There were local singers with voices to die for and I sang other people’s songs. I imitated many voices. Our voices are what makes us unique. I had to find mine.

When I understood the value of my art, I was already living in the UK [Mim arrived to study, gaining a degree in materials engineering from Sheffield Hallam University]. I went to a lot of music festivals, including WOMAD [World of Music, Arts and Dance], which blew me away. I joined a local choir while teaching at the University of Birmingham. That was the beginning of finding my voice.

Q: Why did you choose ‘Si Bure’ as the title of your new album and what are some of the topics you address in the lyrics across the tracks?

A: 'Si Bure’ means ‘It’s not for nothing’. It is meant to encourage – to never give up even when sometimes you think it is impossible. Everything is possible through hard work and perseverance.

The album has songs that teach us, that encourage us, give us hope, give us food for thought and that celebrate life. The track ‘Kumenona’ is about that feeling of getting ready for a party – you smell good, look good, you’ve got your dancing shoes on and you are on top of the world.

Q: On ‘Si Bure’ you again teamed up with US DJ and producer Maurice Fulton? Can you tell me about how you first got together and what he adds to your music?

A: ‘Si Bure’ is our fifth album together. The first release was ‘Tungi’ in 2009, which feature a song called ‘Mingi’ used in [console game] Grand Theft Auto 5. We were introduced by a mutual friend in Sheffield. It is not often you click with someone in collaboration so this is just a blessing to have him in my life. We come from different backgrounds but we land on the same beat. Maurice is my mentor, my teacher and he’s like family. We have already started to work on the next album.

Q: Your music encompasses elements from many genres of music from afro beat to disco and soul. Does it annoy you when people try to categorise your music?

A: Oh, my days! Yes, it really, really does. My eclectic style is my natural expression. I am inspired by what I see, feel, hear and touch. I hear the orchestra and rhythms in everything I do.

Q: Tell me about Usista, the musical road movie across East Africa you made in 2015?

A: I wanted to create a living archive of East African musical heroines. I have always been passionate about learning more about my musical and cultural heritage. We didn’t do history at school. I was keen to find more.

Inspired by Bi Kidude [‘the Queen of taarab’], I wondered whether there were thousands like her with talents we do really know about it. The Usista team shared the same values. We wanted to find them. [Mim met Bi Kidude and headlined that year’s Sauti za Busara music festival, singing with Siti Muharam, grand-daughter of the legendary Siti Bint Saad, whose debut album ‘Romance Revolution on Zanzibar’ was released last year.]

Q: Performing live seems to be a big part of the appeal of music to you so the current situation under Covid restrictions must be challenging.

A: King Covid took over 2020. All gigs booked for 2020 have been cancelled. Some are rescheduled for 2021, but we are not sure what is happening. We live in hope that soon there will be a silver lining.

Live shows are fun. I get to meet all kinds of people, travel the world and work with other artists. I performed for Queen Elizabeth II and all the leaders of the Commonwealth, at Buckingham Palace. The British tabloids [popular newspapers] had headlines like ‘Our Majesty the Queen is not amused’ because she didn’t look happy in the pictures. It was seen by millions around the world.

Q: You were part of [UK musician and co-founder of virtual band Gorillaz] Damon Albarn’s Africa Express Train Tour [a series of live concerts to tie in with 2012 Olympic Games in the UK featuring a host of African artists]. What are your memories of that time?

A: I feel blessed and honoured to have been a part of such historical momens. Over 100 artists including myself boarded the train with daily pop-up events at stations, school, shops, cafés followed by a four-hour show each night. It was perfectly awesome.

[Legendary Nigerian drummer] Tony Allen got me dancing for days! I am sure that was the beginning of my knee trouble!

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were at our final show at King’s Cross Station [London]. I stood on the platform with him and danced to his calls. I knew he love it because he was smiling and shining. I miss him [Allen died in April, 2020].

Amadou Bakayoko [from Mali musical couple Amadou and Maryam] didn’t know what hit him. I serenaded him with my beginner’s ukulele and we became buddies. I played him the first song I composed on ukulele, ‘Ukatili’, which I wrote to raise awareness of the injustices faced by the albino communities in Africa, especially Tanzania. To be among such a wealth of creative energy was mind blowing.

Q: What traditional Swahili instruments can you play?

A: I play everything that I can get my hands on. If I can hit it with sticks then I am 100 per cent getting involved. There are so many instruments I would like to learn – the violin and oud for example. No more than four strings, though really. I know my limits.

I play msewe shakers, originally from Pemba as well as variety of other percussion instruments such as tins, tables, sticks, cups and anything that is at my disposal. I also like to play the ukulele and I do a lot of hamboning [making music with your body with stomps and slaps]. The possibilities of sounds are endless.

Q: There is a sense of joy in your music. Is that how it feels to make it?

A: Sometimes I don’t feel like singing. My voice says “no”, but when it says “yes” it is always liberating to the soul and spirit. That people respond to my music is amazing. Thank you to my beloved fans for all their love and support, wherever they are in the world.

I listen to my songs when I am learning them, but on the rare occasions when I am in the mood to listen to my songs, I feel a massive sense of achievement.

It makes feel 12 feet tall. I am a giant in disguise, really.

Mim Suleiman loves the experience of playing live and can’t wait to get on stage again

All images by yu.and.me / email: hyunseung.yu@gmail.com