Mohamed Khamis Juma Bhalo
A Tribute to a Celebrated Taraab Singer 1937- 2014
The late Mohamed Khamis Juma Bhalo was an icon of Swahili music and culture.
Known for his “golden” voice and debonair performance style, he was the most
famous proponent of the “Indian” (kihindi) style of Swahili taarab that served as
the main form of entertainment for wedding celebrations on Kenya’s Swahili coast
for much of the 20th century. Much of the poetry he sang was written by his older
cousin, the great Swahili poet Ahmad Nassir (also known as Ustadh Bhalo) His ability
to deliver his cousin’s highly sophisticated poetry in an accessible and emotionally
impactful manner earned him the nickname “Professor Bhalo.”
Like the legendary Siti binti Saad, Juma Bhalo first realized his vocal talent studying
tajwīd, the science of Qur’anic recitation. He began singing professionally in the late
1950s in Tanga, Tanganyika, at first accompanying himself on the mandolin. In the
mid-1960s, he moved to Mombasa, where he replaced his mandolin with a hand-
pumped harmonium and began to establish himself as a recording artist and one of
the city’s most sought-after wedding performers. He finally retired from performing in
2007, much to the dismay of his many fans on the Swahili coast
