A genre influenced by interactions between Taarab music and eastern culture within Tanzania’s coastal communities in the 20th century, and infused with Western modes of R&B, hip-hop and dancehall, Bongo Flava was born in early 90s, and has since become an essential touchstone of culture and identity through East Africa. “The word ‘Bongo’ originated from Dar es Salaam, the main commercial city of Tanzania, where you have to be smart to survive,” Tanzanain singer-songwriter Alikiba tells Apple Music. “The word ‘Bongo’ refers to ‘brain’, so ‘Bongo Flava’ basically means ‘the brain flavour’. That’s how Bongo Flava came about—it’s the origin sounds of Tanzania. Now being fused with the Bantu culture, coming from almost 120 tribes that are indigenous ethnic groups, Bongo Flava has transcended in many ways that make it more recognisable to the masses, through both sound and melody. But most importantly, Bongo Flava is carried primarily by the Swahili language, which is spoken by at least 200 million people across the globe.” As an upbeat, socially aware vehicle of expression for younger generations, Alikiba cites Bongo Flava as an incubator for common ground, by bridging African creatives together and fostering unity amongst stakeholders within the music industry. Here’s he’s curated a collection of hits that best capture the genre, featuring tracks from Tommy Flavour, Marioo, Harmonize, Vanillah, K2ga, TID, Zuchu, Barnaba, Ben Pol, Q Chief and more. “With growth of the genre, a lot pioneers are able to create timeless, classic music,” Alikiba explains. “The younger generation has been inspired to make music that is able to bring impact and contribution to the music world, and to cement the legacy not only for the careers they building but also to secure the genre’s growth. [Rather than creating] bubble gum music that can not stand the taste of time, a lot of young artists still look at the bar the older generation set, and are inspired to stay true to making great, quality music.”