He is one of Tanzania’s household names, but Ali Kiba doesn’t just want his fans to listen to his music – but also his message. In his song ‘Lupela’, he tells Africans to help save the elephant. It’s less than two weeks since a British pilot, Roger Gower, was shot dead in Tanzania, and Ali Kiba says the poachers must be stopped.
“Maybe they are addicted, you know? It’s because of the ivory – how can you kill a human for the ivory. Why for that? It’s crazy. Sometimes it doesn’t click in my head. It’s just not fair.” Ali Kiba, Tanzania musician
And at a star-studded event in Dar es Salaam, musicians said Ali Kiba could make a difference.
“First of all, Ali Kiba is a big artist. Probably the biggest that this country and East Africa has right now. So people listen to him. The fact that no artist before had gone on a campaign of this magnitude, that will make people listen to him.” Hamis Mwinjuma, Music Producer
Police have made several arrests in connection with Gower’s death. And conservationists are more determined than ever to beat the poachers.
“I think as conservationists, we all know that this is a real, intense and dangerous issue. And this highlights more how more efforts need to be put into this, so more rangers aren’t dying, and people like the British pilot aren’t dying.” Salome Gasabile, Tanzania Co-ordinator, WildAid
Ali Kiba hopes this song will convince more Tanzanians to join the cause as well because, as he says, they can’t let the poachers kill off one of Africa’s most iconic animals.
