The Culture Musical club were performing an open-air concert under the stars. The twenty-strong Taarab orchestra was led by a row of serious looking violinists, dressed in immaculate dinner suits. I am slightly bemused to learn that tonight's performance is to raise money for black giraffes - not an endangered species, but a village football team. The formality of the violinists was quite a contrast with the colourful enjoyment of the audience on the dancefloor. A shop shows the latest Taarab best sellers At times women performing a slow spinning dance would make their way towards the singer and give her money in appreciation for the music and lyrics.
Taarab poetry is taken very seriously.
More often than not the lyrics are about love and relationships between people. But these days as people feel more free to express themselves, some of the lyrics have become extremely direct and often back-biting. It must have some sort of creativity. Most of the songs are about jealousy or someone's taken your lover. For example I wrote a song about a pineapple, talking about how sweet it is, but how it must be matured and ripe.