TAARAB BIRTH & MIDWIFERY

Taarab in its Kiswahili form originates from the Arabic, tarab or tariba, which is loosely translated as, “to be stirred or excited”, “ecstasy” or “enchantment”. There is no English equivalent for this word but it is exclusively used in reference to music. In coastal East Africa, Taarab is a distinct and popular genre of music that blends the sounds of Arab, African, Indian, Latin, Indonesian and European musical influences. Taarab lyrics are beautifully poetic and made up of traditional proverbs that are fundamental to Swahili language and culture. When my father was a young man, he was a popular Taarab singer in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in the 1960s. Taarab music made up the musical tapestry of my childhood as my father would often sing his favorite songs to me and teach me their meanings.

My own labors and births have always had a musical rhythm to them and felt much like a dance between me and my baby, the last dance we would do together as one body. Taarab Birth & Midwifery is an attempt to pay tribute to the musical traditions of my father while simultaneously honoring birth as a musically-induced journey. When left undisturbed and in its natural state, birth can stir the birthing person into a trance-like state, one full of ecstasy and enchantment and where a deep sense of empowerment and bliss can ultimately be experienced.