The 1970’s, musician and international paedophilia

Gary Glitter.

Gary, who?

Most of us in Africa (let alone the rest of the world) wouldn’t know him. I never heard of this 1970’s musician until two decades ago. Just like some of our locally famous stars who are incognito in foreign countries. Great as these Swahili crooners were, no-one ever heard of   Shakila, the late Taarab star, from Tanga and Marijani Rajabu. 

When I last interviewed the Georgina and Rosa Nenda Shule, composer, in 1983 he coyly said in his rich musical voice:

“Miye n’tafia hapa hapa Uswahilini, mtaa wa Livingstone...” Roughly: Not interested in international waters.

We think Marijani is gold. A treasure that entertained like a finch song bird (“chiriku”). Same for Bunduki Bila Risasi singer, Shakila. One cannot speak of East African music without citing these two artistic giants. But how many know them, overseas?

 Tell me.

And so it goes with British musicians. We have danced to Sade, Beatles, Tom Jones and Cliff Richard. Or the new generation of stars: Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles plus writer of “Price Tag” - Jesse J, and that catchy 2011 release:

“It’s not about the money, money, money

We don’t need your money, money, money

We just wanna make the world dance

Forget about the price tag...”

Jesse J’s, simple tune with a tinges and hinges of reggae- dance hall beats, is a smash.

But, Gary Glitter?

Gary who?

Did you ever come across this (so called) glam king of the 1970s?

The 1970s.  Fifty years ago. When music was hot and something historic worth remembering. When we had James Brown’s soul-funk, kicking in the USA. And Abba’s dancing queens, in Europe. And Osibisa warming up Africa. And Afro-70, ours and only ours, Dodoma born, Patrick Balisidja.

Gary Glitter.

Gary who?

Even as I write this and Google and You Tube him, I expect his songs to appear. However, I get something else.

Last Saturday Gary Glitter’s name steamed up on one of the tabloid’s headlines. Caption roared: “Paedophile pop star Gary Glitter freed from prison.”

This is the second time Gary Glitter has been jailed for the same crime. In 1999, Wikipedia tells us: “Paul Francis Gadd, best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former glam rock singer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s. His career ended after he was imprisoned for downloading child pornography in 1999.”

Before we go on, what is “glam rock” music? It is said to be a style of music developed in the UK in 1970s. Musicians wore flamboyant and exaggerated costumes. Glam, is short for, glamorous.

The London Guardian newspaper listed some of Glitter’s crimes. He had molested young underage girls in the era of his stardom. He had also been found and charged of similar offences while travelling and living in Vietnam around 2005. Sentenced to 16 years in prison, the Guardian has a photograph of the former music star “being escorted from court in March 2006 after being convicted of obscene acts in Vietnam.”

The list of the charges, is 54. 

Fifty four!

Gary Glitter did not commit crimes in Africa. He is not even known, here.

But his scenario is always played by other paedophiles; local and foreign.

The word “paedophile”, means a person that is “sexually attracted to children.” This illness and crime, is common everywhere.  In Swahili one of the words associated, indirectly, with this behaviour is “ulawiti.”

According to a Chanzo report last year, in 2016 Tanzanian police reported 537 sexual molestation of children that more than doubled to 1,114 by 2021.

In nearby Mombasa, the Kenyan Television Network (KTN), reported at least 10, 442 for 2022. Crimes, allegedly, committed by people known to the family (e.g.  Trusted neighbours, step fathers and uncles); rarely by distant males.

What about visiting strangers, nondescript tourists and foreigners like Gary Glitter in Vietnam?

Gambia and Kenya are good examples.

In 2009, London’s Independent newspaper reported how Kenyan children have been targeted by European paedophiles.

“Reporters for Channel 4 News channel filmed children-some as young as 12- in night clubs in Mombasa where they had gone to meet Western men who had travelled to the country for under -age sex.”

As for Gambia in West Africa, one of the main “techniques” used by these criminal pests is to hide among the “normal holiday population.”

London Guardian claimed that “the paedophile tourists often avoid disapproval of the hotel owners by renting apartments or houses for their activities,” normally, for minors. Due to poverty and desperation, the said children, are easy prey.

Has this been happening in Tanzania?

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