TANZANIA: Tinga Tinga Paintings

Edward Tingatinga was born in 1932 in a village called Namochelia, now called Nakapanya, Tanzania – on the border of Tanzania and Mozambique. He, like his mother, Agnes Binti Ntembo, was a Christian and Makua by tribe. His father, Saidi Tingatinga was a Moslem and a Ngindo by tribe. Tingatinga came from a poor peasant family. Edward was the first born in a family of four children. The others are Galus Andrea, Cesilia Mpata and Simon Mpata (who went on to become a well-known Tinga Tinga-style artist).

In 1957, Tingatinga left his village and went to Tanga region to look for employment. He was employed in the sisal plantations and remained there until 1959 when he decided to leave for Dar es Salaam where his cousin Salum Mussa Mkayoga, popularly known as Mzee Lumumba, had been living since 1943.

Mzee Lumumba was already working as a cook at Oyster Bay for one Mr. George Pollack. Tingatinga found favor with him and consequently, he was employed as a gardener. When their employer left Tanzania, Tingatinga and his cousin, Mzee Lumumba, left Oyster Bay and went to stay at Msasani Mikoroshoni.

In the same year, Tingatinga decided to become a street-vendor selling fruit and vegetables around Oyster Bay area on a bicycle. Apart from selling fruit and vegetables, Tingatinga had started doing embroidery work on pillow cases, table clothes and bed covers. He was also learning to weave mats and baskets. He even decorated some houses with wall paintings thus taking up a tradition practiced in many parts of his home region. He was a very creative person in every respect.

One day, early in 1968 he started painting by using the brush and oil colors. He started to paint animals and other scenes and motifs on square hardboards, usually of the size of 2 x 2ft. Also around this time, Tingatinga joined a Makonde traditional dance group. He was good at playing the xylophone. Through this group, he joined the TANU Youth League, a political wing of the ruling political party.

In 1970, Tingatinga officially married Agatha Mataka. In 1972 the TANU Youth League secured a job for him at the Muhimbili Medical Centre in Dar es Salaam.