Rapper's road safety video to be used in TV campaign

Silver looks into the camera with his hands raised in front of him. He wears a red t-shirt. Image source, Mike Buss (Entertainment Swindon)
Image caption,

Rapper Silver Star created the track after seeing the "chaos" created by motorbike taxis in Tanzania

  • Published

A rapper's music video about road safety is set to appear in a national TV campaign in Tanzania.

Mbulelo Mtandana, 45, who lives in Gorse Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire, and performs under the stage name Silver Star, decided to act after seeing the “chaos” caused by motorbike taxis during a recent trip to his home country.

His song Bodaboda, a term used for motorbike across east Africa, was also inspired to take action after his uncle was paralysed in a crash.

Mr Star, who moved to the UK in 2003, said: “My ambition is to be able to save lives.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, he added: “When I went to Tanzania I saw a lot of chaos on the roads.

“I thought that I could come up with something to help the community and help the citizens of Tanzania.”

'Saving lives'

Mr Star collaborated with Tanzanian urban artist Jam Bito on the track, with lyrics written in Swahili.

The government commissioner for road safety, MD Stephen Michael Deleli, appeared in the music video after hearing about the idea.

Mr Silver said: "If I can save just one life from this video, then it would have been worth it.  

"It’s really exciting that the Tanzanian government have thrown their full support to the video and the campaign.

"I can’t wait for people to see it."

Translated by Silver, the final lyrics on the track tell people to be stay safe on the motorbikes.

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