Type of Music:

The Band plays "Twanga Pepeta" beats- (Dancing style of the band) in Swahili. Others are Rhumba, Zouk, Chacha, Ndombolo, Blues, Soca, etc all in Swahili, French, English, Spanish and Congolese-Lingala.

Music Background:

The Band descended from the famous MK GROUP Band, which used to perform at the New Africa Hotel from 1985 - 1994, when the hotel was closed for sale. The Band then moved to Bahari Beach under the name of African Stars and performed as resident band from July 1994 to 30th June 1998 when the hotel was also sold to another operator. The Band then moved and based at the heart of Dar es Salaam City, Magore Street in Upanga where they were doing practices and making performances at different City Clubs such as Gerezani Railway Club, popularly known as Singasinga, Tazara Club and Leaders Club.

Achievements:

In year 2000 during Tanzania Musical Awards, The African Stars Band emerged as an overall winner for the year 2000/2001 (Best band of the year) and awarded "The Best Performer Musical Award", during the presentation ceremony held at the famous Diamond Jubilee Hall in July 2000. At the same ceremony the band's popular song, "Kisa cha Mpemba", emerged as number two best song of the year. In 2001/02, the Band collected Best Show Dance and Best Band in Modern Music awards during Guinness Award presentation, an event organised by Kibo Breweies Limited (KBL). The Band has continue to feature and won several awards almost every year since then.

Just to mention few and more recent In 2004/2005 the Band emerged as best band in Dance music category given by BBC/RADIO ONE. Under the same category awards of BBC/RADIO ONE, the song composed by Banza Stone "Mtu Pesa" also emerged the best song of the year. To prove their superemacy in Bongo Dance the same kind of awards i.e Best Band and Best Song of the year during the same period were also awarded by TBL - KILIMANJARO MUSIC AWARDS.

The band has previously produced seven albums ( Kisa Cha Mpemba, Jirani, Fainali Uzeeni, Chuki Binafsi, Ukubwa Jiwe, Mtu pesa and Safari 2005). The songs are available in Audio tapes,CDs, Videotapes and DVDs. This current and 8th ALBUM to be launched by the end of July 2006 will be known as Password.

Most of the songs have featured in the Top Ten charts. It is an open secret that The African Stars Band is the leading live Music Band in Tanzania. As it was the case during the MK Group era which had two sister bands known as The M.K. Beats and The M.K. Sounds, The African Stars Band also has got sister band known as The African Revolution "Tam Tam".

Due to a big number of superstars in the African Stars band, the Band has now been re-organized into two seperate groups namely; The African Stars "Twanga Pepeta Internationale" and The african Stars "Twanga Chipolopolo".

Special Thanks:

There are are so many people who have assisted us in one way or another to our current success. However special thanks should go to Mr. David Mgwasa, David Minja and Mama Swea of Tanzania Breweries. Special thanks should also go to Shabani Kessi Mtambo of Paris France, Papa Mudi and Mzee Mdete of Singasinga Club, Mzee Tairo of Mango Garden, Male Lusinde of London, FKW Distributors, Pride Computers Ltd and the late Othman Mfuru of Bahari Beach Hotel . We also extend our sincerely thanks for the warm support we have been receiving from BASATA (National Arts Board), Clouds FM Radio, ITV/Radio One Stereo, Channel Ten, Star TV and other radio and TV stations just to name few and Press people at large.

May God Bless You.

Thank You

Msiilwa Baraka
Executive Chairman

THE AFRICAN STARS BAND - WANA TWANGA PEPETA