Bi Kidude: Zanzibar's 'golden grandmother of music'
Bi Kidude was known as Zanzibar's 'golden grandmother of music'. She was one of the first women from the country to sing in public without wearing the veil.
In the 1980s, Bi Kidude burst onto the international music scene, when she was in her 70s. She was one of the first women from Zanzibar to sing in public without wearing the veil, in the traditional Muslim country.
She was born Fatuma binti Baraka, known as Bi Kidude or "little madame" in Swahili, and fondly referred to as the "golden grandmother of music".
Maryam Hamdani was one of her oldest friends and helped launch Bi Kidude's career globally. Maryam spoke to Reena Stanton-Sharma about the charismatic musician who died in 2013.
(Photo: Bi Kidude at the Sauti za Busara Music Festival. Credit: Mwanzo Millinga/AFP via Getty Images)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Tue 5 Sep 2023 07:50GMT91热爆 World Service
- Tue 5 Sep 2023 11:50GMT91热爆 World Service
- Tue 5 Sep 2023 17:50GMT91热爆 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Tue 5 Sep 2023 21:50GMT91热爆 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Wed 6 Sep 2023 02:50GMT91热爆 World Service
Featured in...
![]()
Music history—Witness History
Listen to and download our programmes
![]()
African history—Witness History
Listen to and download our programmes
Podcast
-
![]()
Witness History
History as told by the people who were there
