Remmy Ongala: The Voice of the Tanzanian Diaspora Through His Bold Music and Social Commentary

Remmy Ongala, the legendary Tanzanian musician born in Congo, became a big voice for the people, especially the diaspora in Europe. His daughter Aziza Ongala shares how the Tanzanian, Kenyan, and Congolese communities in Europe helped make him popular internationally. They pushed for his tours in Europe, UK, and North America during the late 1980s and 1990s. Remmy joined the famous WOMAD tours and signed with Real World Records in London, which gave him better studios and distribution. His songs like ‘Kifo’ and ‘Narudi Nyumbani’ touched many hearts, especially those feeling homesick, and even Europeans who didn’t speak Kiswahili loved his music. Remmy was known for being real and brave—he sang about everyday struggles, poverty, love, death, and corruption using metaphors. He dedicated songs like ‘Mrema’ to fight corruption, which was risky as the government threatened him with deportation sometimes. But he never feared to speak out, even changing lyrics live to be more direct. Despite fame abroad, he stayed rooted in Tanzania, never settling in Europe permanently; his European wife moved to Tanzania instead. He performed everywhere, from remote villages to big hotels, treating all audiences the same. Aziza says her dad saw performing for diaspora as a calling, though he didn’t like the cold. Today, Aziza runs programs at British Council to nurture new talents and keep his legacy alive. She and siblings started Ongala Music Festival in 2018 to honour him and other unsung Tanzanian heroes. His son Tom Ongala is also making music, sounding very much like his father. Remmy remains a symbol of authenticity, defiance, and connection to ordinary people’s lives.