DDC Mlimani Park singer drops mic

Hassan Rehani Bitchuka, 77, a long serving DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra singer, songwriter and lead soloist has called it a day following an eye surgery that has left him partially blind.

Bitchuka has been at the helm of the band as the lead soloist for over six decades.

"It will be hard for me to make any more serious performances in future after this operation that has left my right eye partially blind," Bitchuka told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

Bitchuka is credited for many popular songs the band is known for among them Nawashukuru Wazazi Wangu, Mume Wangu Jerry, Talaka Ya Hasira and MV Mapenzi.

Band spokesman Abu Omar confirmed the medical condition of the artiste saying he cannot be fully ruled out of performing for the band occasionally when the need arises.

"The eye operation on Bitchuka has slowed him down on his career. He is also of advanced age. Once in a while, the artiste will be allowed to perform taking into account he's a darling of the band fans," Omar told The Standard from Dar es Salaam where he resides.

"The operation has affected him partly, but he (Bitchuka) can still sing, but with some limit. He also suffers from blood pressure that keeps home most of the times," he added.

However, he said the band has recruited a number of young artistes who are being trained to fit into the shoes of the retiring musicians.

They include vocalists Abdalla Tingwani, Saidi Mskala and Mackey Fanta and the guitarists are Mapesa Stephen Maufi and Shehe Kombo.

"These musicians are talented and passionate to be with us and one of them in Fanta (Mackey) is steadily fitting into the shoes of singer cum songwriter Cosmas Tobias Chidumule," Omar stated.

Bitchuka's last performance was at Kisumo Pub, in Dar es Salaam on November 5, 2022 where he was given a standing ovation. He performed the Kelele za Paka song with a team of visibly new young musicians.

At the function, Bitchuka wowed his audience with his sweet and soft melodious voice that has been synonymous with all Kiswahili radio stations in East and Central Africa.

The young artistes were backed by some experienced artistes who proved they are still going strong even after the support of Dar es Salaam Development Corporation (DDC), a state parastatal as their top sponsor.

The parastatal had supported the band since inception in 1978.

Being the oldest band in the region, Mlimani Park Orchestra has survived the test of time that forced some of the oldest bands in the region out.

Formed in 1978 by former Juwata Jazz Band members Muhiddin Maalim, Abdallah Gama, Cosmas Chidumule, Joseph Mulenga Michael Enoch and Abel Balthazar, the band has cemented its place as one of the legendary groups the region has celebrated over the decades. The band's original members were later joined by Bitchuka and Suleiman Mwanyiro. The orchestra became popular for their music themes as well as the engaging poetic delivery they used to send messages out through their songs. The interplay of their guitars as well as their well-honed horn arrangements made them one of the most unique bands in Africa.

In the 1980s, Mlimani Park released a string of very popular hits, mostly written by Bitchuka, Cosmas Chidumule, and Shaaban Dede.

With respect to other muziki wa dansi bands of the 1980s such as Vijana Jazz, that was known for its technical, Mlimani Park stuck with the dansi tradition. The motto of the band has been ngoma ya ukae ("the home dance").