A Profile: Rajabu Chiwaya the Record Breaking Tinga Tinga Artist

Tanzania Wed 10-11-2010

A Profile: Rajabu Chiwaya the Record Breaking Tinga Tinga Artist
By Daniel Augusta

Rajabu Chiwaya was born in 1951 in Nakapanya, a village in south Tanzania, 70km east of the town of Tunduru . He was Makua, after his mother who was also born in Nakapanya. But his name originates from his father Lidumba Chiwaya who was from Ngoni tribe.

Artist Rajabu Chiwaya Poses for a Photo with a Young Boy

Artist Rajabu Chiwaya poses with a young admirer of his work

As a young man Rajabu Chiwaya left his village and moved to Tunduru. He found soon a job as bicycle serviceman. He stayed in Tunduru for 6 years until he decided to try his luck in Dar es Salaam.

It was Mzee Mruta, his uncle who inspired him. Bushiri Salum Mruta, the former policeman and relative to E.S.Tingatinga had already mastered the skills of Tinga Tinga art when Rajabu Chiwaya arrived in Dar es Salaam in 1974.

After Rajabu Chiwaya came to Dar, he quickly embarked on a career as painter under the guidance of Mzee Mruta. As the other family members, he worked in the new established Tinga Tinga Partnership Society which later changed the name to Tinga Tinga Arts Co-operative Society.

Though the family was not rich, his income from the sale of Tinga Tinga paintings enabled him to establish a family of 14 children. The family stayed first in Msasani and then moved to Mbagala.

After he passed away in 2004, some of his children continued in the legacy of their father. For instance, Mwamedi Chiwaya is one of most technically skilled painters at the Tinga Tinga Cooperative today. He is the third born child. Two other children who are painting in Tinga Tinga style are Ali Chiwaya Mawazo and Ilo Chiwaya. Two of his children were his students (Mwamedi and Mawazo) as well as Amury and Iddi Issa.

It is not known where his works were displayed but they were shown all over the world. He got a patron – the ambassador of Canada who loved his work. Maybe the reason was that Rajabu Chiwaya was a precise painter mastering the details. He concentrated fully on painting and took time in order to create a masterwork.

It was the technical skill rather than new ideas which secured him steady interest in his work.

Posted By: Hirum Ndungu

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