Fishing Songs from Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania: A Case Study of Intangible Marine Cultural Heritage on the Swahili Coast

Fishers (both men and women) engage in different activities ranging from preparing fishing equipment (traps, nets, fishing vessels), weather forecasting, and sailing to fishing grounds. While sailing, fishers can paddle collaboratively when the wind is low and, if the boat is leaking, some crew bail the vessel. Once they arrive at the fishing grounds, fishers cast anchor, mend the fishnets, and fix the boat foresheets. If successful, the fishers collect their catch, weigh the anchor, and return to shore and prepare to sell their fish. These fishing activities are accompanied by maritime customs, traditions, rituals, stories, and gestures. One key tradition accompanying the fishing process from the start to the end is singing. This paper documents and present the songs that are part of the fishing process in Kilwa Kisiwani, along the southern coast of Tanzania. The fishing songs of Kilwa Kisiwani are presented in the context of intangible cultural heritage of the east African Swahili coast.