Siti binti Saad

Saad was a legendary taraab singer who could sing in Swahili, Arabic, and Hindustani, making her a favorite from Africa to India. She was discovered as an amateur vocal accompanist and became the first East African to make commercial recordings. Between 1928 and 1939, she was so successful that recording studios were built on the island of Zanzibar specifically for her. It is estimated that she made over 150 78 rpm records, which are impossible to find today except on cassettes. ~ Steve Huey