Ashimba (Tanzania)

Ashimba, born Andrew David Shimba, is a Tanzanian singer-songwriter and guitarist known for blending East African traditional music with Afropop and acoustic guitar. His debut album, Nuru Nyikani, released in January 2009, showcased his unique style, featuring strong African melodies and storytelling lyrics. Collaborating with producers from Finland in 2012, Ashimba's music evolved further, incorporating electronic elements while maintaining its soulful essence on the album Wakukaya. With his unwavering commitment to storytelling and musical innovation, Ashimba's music serves as a celebration of Tanzanian heritage and a reflection of both the beauty and complexity of contemporary African life. 

Featured Songs:

Ashimba’s African Celebration song “Afrika” urges Africans to recognize the efforts of their parents and the independence of the continent, emphasizing the need for diligence and hard work to overcome poverty, ignorance, and disease. It criticizes African corruption and encourages embracing cultural heritage, language, and identity to build a prosperous and united continent: “Let's play a song at home / Love your culture / Love your nature / Don't be shy, love your culture.” The songs colorful accompanying music video was filmed on the island of Zanzibar.

In Coffee Culture's “Kiapo” (Oath), Ashimba delivers a call for unity, responsibility, and integrity. Sung over a steady acoustic rhythm with Tanzanian percussion and guitar, the song unfolds as a communal pledge: “Swore an oath to do good in the world / To make laws to protect us, for the future of our nation.”Blending traditional Swahili phrasing with contemporary folk, Ashimba ties civic duty, faith, and love into a vision of harmony. The refrain kaapa kiapo (“swore an oath”) serves as a moral reminder to honor commitments, care for one another, and live with compassion.

Artist Website

Featured On:

Click images to learn more