The Archiving of Siti Binti Saad and her Engagement with the Music Industry in Shaaban Robert’s Wasifu wa Siti Binti Saad

Abstract

This essay discusses the representation of a Zanzibari legendary taarab female singer, Siti Binti Saad, in Shaaban Robert’s Wasifu wa Siti Binti Saad [Biography of Siti Binti Saad]. It examines the role Robert’s Wasifu plays in the archiving of Siti Binti Saad as a figure of East African identity, as a role model for subverting traditional gender norms and empowering women and as an exemplar for ethical life. It also discusses the representation of Siti’s engagement with international record companies and her stardom stature in the Wasifu and argues that the recording and archiving of Siti’s music by these companies is also linked to imperial exploitative structures and practices. Further, it shows that Robert’s aesthetic judgments concerning Siti’s music seem to be silent on these structures and attribute Siti’s success only to her creativity, hard work and good character.