Shaaban robert biography

Tanzanian poet, author, and essayist

Shaaban bin Robert, also known as Shaaban Robert (1 January 1909 – 20 June 1962), was a Tanzanian poet, author, and essayist who supported the preservation of Tanzanianverse traditions.^[2] Robert is celebrated as one of the greatest Tanzanian Swahili thinkers, intellectuals and writers in East Africa and has been called "poet laureate of Swahili" and is also known as the "Father of Swahili."^[3] He is also honoured as the national poet.^[4]

Biography

Shaaban was born to a father of Yao decent and mother of Digo heritage at village of Vibamba, Tangasisi ward of Tanga District, located south of Tanga City in Tanga Region, Tanzania (then German East Africa).

The surname Robert is a name of a British colonial officer who requested his parent to name him after him. Thus in real sense, Robert was his second name (not his surname or last name), his first name being Shaaban. Shaaban himself for a