INTERVIEW WITH SALUM KAMBI
DA: You started to paint as a boy when you competed with your friend to draw sketches. Do you remember what sketches did you paint? About what? Who did win? You or your friend?
SK: The sketches which I remember were just cartoons. I was drawing daily life of Tanzanian people, my friend Gibons Mlowe was a winner because he was better artist than me.
DA: Your paintings are very abstract which is not common in Tanzania where there is so much Tingatinga. Where did you get the idea to paint lake that? Did you see it in book or did you have some teacher you learned from or do you have other explanation? Did you paint in naïve style also?
SK: I got the idea of paintings from one artist called Raza Mohamed. He is very good and well-known artist in Tanzania. But sometime I paint naïve style also.
DA: I have learned that your father passed away last year. Please receive my condolence even on behalf of HABARI readers. I would like to ask you what your father thought about your work as a painter. Was he proud or did he want you to do something else? Did he like your paintings?
SK: Yes, my farther passed away not last year but this year, thanks for the condolence. My farther for the first time he didnīt know what I was doing even myself I didnīt know because I just liked to draw and to paint without thinking about the profit or loss. It was my hobby, but after few years, I started to understand the meaning of art and my farther too started to appreciate it and he liked it very much and he was proud of it. He didnīt ask me to do something else, he liked my paintings very much. He was inspiration to me and my life. I remember him every day. I have no end cry in my life now. I lost very important person in my life.
Questions sent: 11th March 2008 from Sweden
Answered: 19th March 2008 from Tanzania
Notice: Slightly Edited
DA: Daniel Augusta
SK: Salum Kambi
Original language of Interview: English
Author: Daniel Augusta