Men who listen to Bongo music, have we lost our masculinity?

Tanzanian music is big in Kenya. This is a fact of life and from the look of things, this will be the case for a long time to come. It’s just what it is.

If you are keen enough, you’ll notice that the top trending songs on YouTube (Kenya) are usually Tanzanian songs. As we speak, Diamond’s latest single dubbed The One is occupying the number one spot.

Before that, Harmonize’s Kainama was trending at number one and before that it was probably another Wasafi song or a song the likes of Aslay, Shetta Juma Jux, Darassa or even Ali Kiba. The point is, the biggest song in Kenya on most occasions is always a Tanzanian song.

There’s no explanation for this other than the fact that musicians from that country are very consistent and then there’s the obvious fact that their music is good. From the videos, to the lyrics down to the beat, everything is always top-notch.

Naturally, if you are a music fan, whether male or female, you’ll find yourself vibing to these songs never mind the fact that they are Bongo songs. Let’s be honest, when a song is good, it’s good there are no two ways about it.

I was recently having a conversation with some friends and I thought I should ask them what their thoughts are on men who listen to Bongo music. My question was driven by the fact that Tanzanian jams are always trending in Kenya.

Some of them claimed they would never listen to such songs. If they did, they would come off as weak men. Others, however, admitted that they listen to Bongo music because the songs are infectious. Incase you were wondering, I fall in the latter category. I listen to Tanzanian songs once in a while. Yup!

Truth is, no music genre is a preserve of a certain gender. It’s just the way the society has shaped our thinking. From a young age, men are taught to be tough while ladies are seen as soft. Perhaps this explains why men are drawn to Hip Hop while ladies are drawn to Bongo music, R&B and what not.

This should not be the case. Men should not feel like they are losing their masculinity because they love Bongo music. It’s totally okay to enjoy music that you feel is good. There’s absolutely no shame in it.

Allow me to say this again, “No music genre is a preserve of a certain gender.” If you enjoy Bongo music, knock yourself out, it doesn’t make you any  less of a man. And no, I’m not telling you to listen to Tanzanian songs at the expense of Kenyan music.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Feel free to leave a comment below.