DAR ES SALAAM, June 21 -- THERE is something both funny and faintly alarming about hearing an old Tanzanian song, feeling the dust of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tanga, or Tabora rise from it, recognising the guitars, the brass, the Kiswahili poetry, the dance-floor and sweat of another age.

And then discovering that before you can hear the song, you may need permission from an office in Hamburg, New York or London whose closest encounter with the songs birthplace might be locating Tanzania on a map after a second cup of coffee, possibly with the map upside down.

It sounds like the setup to a joke. Unfortunately, it may also be reality.

Somewhere along the way, parts of our ‘Muziki wa Dansi history appear to have packed their bags, ...