The rich native "literature" of Tanzania is in danger of being abandoned. In more developed regions like that around Dar es Salaam, the drumbeat of the traditional ngoma, along with its accompanying barefoot dance of the same name, is disappearing. The msewe, a percussion-enhancing ankle garment worn by dancers, is nearly obsolete. Only in small villages do women still piga vigelegele, or flutter their tongues to produce the shrill, undulating sound associated with old African traditions. These customs are being tossed aside in favor of Western culture-the perceived culture of wealth, of development. As European and American businesses amplify Tanzania's economy through tourism and television, their traditions and customs penetrate its culture.

As the international exchange of ideas and cultures expands to include East Africa, Tanzania risks accepting the already created canons of a foreign culture instead of adding an authentic voice to the chorus of written literature. Currently, there are few Tanzanian novelists and playwrights, and even fewer poets. Those who have achieved critical and popular success have achieved it abroad, by expatriating to Western countries and writing in foreign languages. Tanzanian writers loyal to their homeland and mother tongue, such as Zainab M. Mwanga, author of Kiu ya Haki ("Thirst for Justice"), and Amandina Lihamba, the playwright responsible for Hawala ya Fedha ("The Money Order"), have limited publicity, recognized by few, even in Tanzania. But their work is powerful: it captures the condition of post-colonial Tanzania, and has the ability to introduce this culture to the world.