Ebrahim Hussein facts for kids

Ebrahim Hussein is a famous Tanzanian writer. He was born in 1943 in a place called Lindi in what was then Tanganyika Territory. He is known for writing plays and poems. His first play, Kinjeketile, came out in 1969. It was written in the Swahili language. This play was about Kinjikitile Ngwale, a leader of the Maji Maji Rebellion. Many people think Kinjeketile is a very important play in Tanzanian theatre.

Ebrahim Hussein's writings helped create a new style of literature in Swahili. This happened after Tanzania became independent from the United Kingdom in 1961. Most of his plays have not been translated into other languages. Because of this, his work is mostly known in East Africa.

Ebrahim Hussein's Life and Plays

Ebrahim Hussein was born in 1943 in Lindi. This town is on the Swahili coast by the Indian Ocean. He went to school in Dar es Salaam. Later, he studied French literature and theatre arts at the University College Dar es Salaam.

After Tanzania became independent from Great Britain in 1961, there was a need for new plays. In 1964, Swahili became the national language of Tanzania. This helped new plays written in Swahili become popular. Hussein's plays mixed traditional African storytelling with ideas from European theatre.

Early Works and Themes

While still a student, Hussein wrote his first short plays in 1967. These were Wakati Ukuta (Time is a Wall) and Alikiona (Consequences). These plays talked about problems between older and younger generations. They also showed the social problems caused by European colonialism.

Hussein liked some parts of European theatre, like the picture-frame stage. But he also used traditional African theatre styles. For example, some of his plays, like Alikiona, included kichekesho. This is a funny part often found in the middle of taarab music shows. He also used Swahili storytelling traditions, called hadithi.

The Impact of Kinjeketile

In 1969, Hussein wrote his first long play, Kinjeketile. This play was based on the life of Kinjikitile Ngwale. He was a key leader in the Maji Maji uprising against German colonial rule. A professor from East Germany, Joachim Fiebach, directed the play. Kinjeketile became a very important play for new theatre in East Africa.

Hussein used ideas from "epic theatre" in Kinjeketile. This style was developed by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Over the years, Kinjeketile became like a national story. It was one of the first plays in East Africa to show pride against colonial rule. More than 20,000 copies of the play were sold. It was even used as a textbook in secondary schools in the 1970s. Hussein himself translated Kinjeketile into English. This helped the play become known outside of Tanzania.

Later Plays and Poetry

In the early 1970s, Hussein studied at the Humboldt University in East Berlin. He wrote his PhD paper about how theatre grew in East Africa. Other plays he wrote include Mashetani (1971), which was a very political play. He also wrote Jogoo Kijijini (1976) and Arusi (1980). In Arusi, the main character feels disappointed with Tanzania's socialist ideas, called ujamaa.

Ebrahim Hussein also wrote poems in free verse. This was a new style of poetry for Swahili literature. His poems were also widely read in schools and universities. His writings, which used poetic and modern language, became a guide for Tanzania's cultural policies.

In 1975, he started teaching theatre studies at the University of Daresalaam. He also led their theatre group for a while. He taught there as a professor until 1986. Since then, he has lived a quiet life in his home.

Ebrahim Hussein's Works

Plays

• Kinjeketile, 1969
• Michezo ya kuigiza, 1970
• Mashetani, 1971
• Jogoo Kijijini and Ngao ya Jadi, 1976
• Arusi, 1980
• Jambo la maana, 1982
• Kwenye ukingo wa Thim, English translation At the edge of Thim, 1988
• Ujamaa

Short Plays

• Wakati Ukuta (Time is a Wall), 1967
• Alikiona (Consequences), 1969

Ngao ya Jadi

Ngao ya Jadi is a play for just one actor. It tells the story of a giant snake named Sesota that scares a village. A young farmer is asked to defeat Sesota. The farmer succeeds, and the village is happy. But over time, the bad things the snake brought start to grow again. The village becomes worse and worse. Eventually, Sesota comes back, and no one is left to fight him.

This play is a new version of an old Swahili folk story. In the original story, Sesota is trapped in a pot, not killed, and eventually returns. In Hussein's play, Sesota stands for colonialism. The "peasant" tries hard to fight it. Hussein shows that parts of colonialism still remain. He suggests that too much Western influence on African culture can bring back bad things.

The play also shows that the world isn't just "good versus evil." Instead, things are often more complicated. One important part of the play is when the village celebrates after Sesota's defeat. Many famous African writers and artists are mentioned. Here, Hussein seems to be saying that other artists only create work during happy times. He thinks art should also be used to fight unfairness.

Ebrahim Hussein Poetry Prize

The Ebrahim Hussein Poetry Prize is an award given every year since 2014. It is for the winner of a poetry contest with the same name. The contest was started by Safarani Seushi. This was done to honor the wish of a Canadian filmmaker named Gerald Belkin. Belkin wanted to create this award, named after his friend, Professor Ebrahim Hussein. His goal was to help Swahili writers grow in their careers. The winning poems were published in a book called Diwani ya tunzo ya ushairi ya Ebrahim Hussein in 2017.

Ebrahim Hussein Fellowship

The Ebrahim Hussein Endowment helps people research African cultures. It was started in 2003 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This was made possible by Robert M. Philipson, who used to be a student there. Each year, the college gives up to $7,500 to graduate students. This money helps them do research on African cultures or archives outside the United States. Vincent Ogoti, a playwright from Kenya, is one of the people who has received this fellowship.