KASHA LANGU : 1950 POPULAR SONG FROM MOMBASA

The composers of Swahili songs are frequently anonymous although, in the instance of kasha langu, it has been possible to ascertain the composer's name Abd ai-Rahim Sa'id Muhammad
BaSalim was born in Takaungu in 1920, the son of a Hadrami father and a Swahili mother. At an early age he moved to Kisauni (Mombasa north) and commenced earning his livelihood hawking perfumes around the mitaa (wards) of Mombasa, trudging from door to door with his well-known k'apu (a large basket) and, in so doing, he became a familiar figure to the ladies of the island In addition he acquired renown as a composer of songs, his compositions being sung at many Swahili weddings He died in Kisauni in 1398 AH I AD 1978, survived by one son and one daughter 3.It has to be said that, with the exception of kasha langu, Abd al-Rahim never composed what would nowadays be called 'a hit' The truth is that kasha langu became a success not because of the words alone, but because of the interdependence of words and music Whether Abd al-Rahim composed the tune and the rousing chorus as we as the lyric is not now certain, but the highly successful marriage of words and music has ensured the song's continuing popularity