Makame Faki Makame was a legendary and highly influential figure in Zanzibari taarab music, renowned as one of the genre's leading singer-songwriters and a master of the related roots-based style, kidumbak. Born in Zanzibar in 1943, he began his musical career as a young man playing drums and singing taarab before becoming a celebrated member of the Culture Musical Club, one of Zanzibar's oldest and most prolific taarab orchestras, where he also played the violin, oud, flute, maracas, and accordion. For decades, Faki was also at the forefront of the islands’ most popular kidumbak group, Sinachuki Kidumbak, which he founded with fellow musicians. Kidumbak is a stripped-down version of orchestral taarab, often featuring vocals, violin, sanduku (tea-chest bass), and small kidumbak clay drums. His powerful, hoarse baritone voice earned him the nickname "Sauti ya Zege" (Gravelly Voice). Faki was known for his mastery of both traditional taarab, such as his classic song "Mazowea Yana Tabu", and the more captivating, direct, and dance-friendly kidumbak style. He toured internationally with both the Culture Musical Club and Sinachuki Kidumbak, acting as a cultural ambassador who also mentored students at the Dhow Countries Music Academy, stressing the importance of preserving Zanzibar's unique music. Makame Faki Makame passed away in Zanzibar on January 18, 2020, at the age of 77.