BI SHAKILA THE TAARAB ICON IS NO MORE. RIP

KING KIKI, BI SHAKILA WITH BITCHUKA, DURING THE REAHEARSALS WITH OTHER ELDERLY MUSICIANS
Shakila Tatu Said Msengi one of the icons of Taarab music is no more. Shakila suddenly fell down and lost consiousness, she was rushed to a hospital near her home in Mbagala Charambe, but she lost her life

BABU NJENJE NA BI SHAKILA

  Bi Shakila was the only child of her parents. She was born on 14th June 1947, the same date as another musician Mabruk Khamis who is also known as Babu Njenje of Kilimanjaro Band. Actually they were born in the same town Pangani, and as Mabruk's mother had problem giving out milk, Mabruk began his life sharing the same breast with Shakila. Shakila started singing when she was 6, one day when she was 12 she was selected to sing for Julius Kambarage Nyerere, when he visited Pangani during the campaigns for Independence. It was after this show that she was heard by Bwana Khatibu who was impressed by her voice and requested that she joined the local Taarab group in Pangani,  Taarab Kijamvi. The group then immigrated to Tanga, she followed Khatib who married her and they ended up having 5 children. In Tanga they together joined another group called Shaabab Al Watan, but she did not get a chance to sing freely in this group so she and her husband moved on to another group that was owned by Mzee Kiroboto which was called Young Novelty. She greatly improved her singing techniques in this group, but there was no payment for musicians, the group scattered after more than half the musicians joined Black Star Taarab Group which was owned by an Arab, Hassan Awadh who worked at the Tanga port. Here Shakila sang hits like  Jongoo Acha Makuu, Mpenzi Amini, Majuto Yamenipata. She became famous throughout East Africa, in 1972 another rich Arab businessman bought new music equipment and launched the Lucky Star Taarab Group, Shakila and nine of other musicians left Black Star and joined Lucky Star. At the time Shakila was pregnant and she named the child who was born Lucky. And it was in this group tha Shakila reached the peak of her fame.Songs that she sang then are still popular today; Mapenzi Yamepungua, Kifo cha Mahaba. Macho Yanacheka. Bi Shakila continued performing with this group until the death of her husband in 1984. When she gave herself a pause in her music performances until later she joined tha National Service taarab group until her retirement from the national Service group, but he continued performing until her death today

May her soul rest in Peace. AMEN