Visitors to Butiama: Asha and Abdul Salvador

The easiest path to fame is to have a musician friend.

Many years ago my friend and musician Abdul Salvador and his wife, Asha, visited Butiama and performed a number of live shows with their band, Hisia Sounds. They traveled from Dar es Salaam by bus through Arusha and Nairobi, Kenya, and re-entered Tanzania at the Sirari border post before arriving in Butiama, which is about two hours' drive from Sirari.

On their arrival in Butiama, I recall Salvador's comment, who was traveling to northern Tanzania for the first time: "Tanzania is a huge country. Imagine you have to travel through another country to reach parts of this country!"

Those were the days before the Government of Tanzania executed a decision to rebuild and improve the road from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, particularly the section between Singida and Mwanza. As a consequence bus operators introduced daily bus services between Dar and Mwanza and even up to Musoma. As a further consequence there is no bus company that serves the longer Dar - Nairobi - Musoma/Mwanza route.



For this number, from left to right, the author of this blog, Evaristus Nchia (stage name, "Dokta Nchia"), Asha Sa;vador, and Abdul salvador.

When Hisia sounds performed at what was once the Makuti Bar in Butiama I was one of the chorus singers on stage. I admit that I danced much better than I sang. Many in Butiama still recall with fond memories Hisia Sounds' visit and my brief moment of fame.

Post related to this one:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-version-of-year-2009-in-review-may.html