Shaaban Robert
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 Tanzanian verse traditions. 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." He is also honoured as the national poet.
Also recorded as Shaaban bin Robert
Shaaban Robert
- Name
- Shaaban Robert
- Birth Name
- Shaaban bin Selemani
- Born
- 1 January 1909
- Birthplace
- Vibamba village, Tangasisi, Tanga
- Died
- 20 June 1962
- Place of death
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Occupation
- Civil servant, writer, poet
- Known for
- kiswahili literature
- Spouse
- Amina
- Awards
- Margaret Wrong Prize and Medal for African Literature
- Nationality
- Tanzania
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
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 Tanzanian verse traditions. 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." He is also honoured as the national poet.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Shaaban Robert. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q45236 · wikipedia · Shaaban bin Robert
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Shaaban Robert • Honorific Suffix — MBE • Birth Name — Shaaban bin Selemani • Born — 1 January 1909 • Birthplace — Vibamba village, Tangasisi, Tanga • Died — 20 June 1962 • Place of death — Dar es Salaam, Tanzania • Resting Place — Machui, Tangasisi, Tanga Region • Occupation — Civil servant, writer, poet • Years Active — 1932–62 • Known for — kiswahili literature • Notable Works — Kusadikika • Spouse — Amina • Children — 10 • Awards — Margaret Wrong Prize and Medal for African Literature
Biography
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 time wrote it 'Roberts' rather than 'Robert'. From 1922 to 1926 he was educated in Dar es Salaam, coming in second in a class of 11 to receive the School Leaving Certificate under the then British colonial educational system in Tanganyika.
Career
Career
After receiving the school certificate, Shaaban worked at various posts as a colonial government civil servant. From 1926 to 1944 he was a customs official at different locations throughout the territory including one post at Kwale Island in current day Mkuranga District of Pwani Region. From 1944 to 1946 he worked for the Game Department. From 1946 to 1952 he worked in the Tanga District Office, and from 1952 to 1960 he was in the Survey Office there. He worked very closely with the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and Julius Nyerere. Many of his civil service experiences are woven into his writings. During his lifetime he received the Margaret Wrong Prize and Medal for African Literature and was honored by the British government as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.).
Intellectual work
Intellectual work
Robert contributed to the promotion of the Swahili language and the struggle for the dignity of mankind. He was a celebrated humanist. He worked for freedom and gender equality, and was against racial and religious discrimination in Tanzania. Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere, had complete admiration for the late Shaaban Robert, and greatly valued and promoted his intellectual work. His was also equally respectful of both Muslims and Christians. That is reflected in his two unusual names (Shaaban—Muslim name and Robert, a Christian name).[The name Robert was in fact one of his father's several names, the others being Selemani and Ufukwe] Sheikh Shaaban Robert succeeded in writing essays, books, prose and poems and some of his literature is part of school curricula and higher education reading. Some of his books included Maisha Yangu na Baada ya Miaka Hamsini, Kusadikika, and Wasifu wa Siti binti Saad. His works are still being discovered and published. To date he has 24 known works. • Illustration — Shabaan Roberts Grave in Tangasisi Ward, Tanga • Illustration — Museum Plate, Tangasisi Ward, Tanga
Eponyms
Eponyms
• Shaaban Robert Secondary School, Dar es Salaam • Shaaban Robert Street, a street in the Dar es Salaam CBD
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
Shaaban Robert was born on 1 January 1909.
1962
Shaaban Robert died at Dar es Salaam.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q45236: Shaaban Robert
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Shaaban bin Robert”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Relevant literature
• Abdalla, Abdilatif. "Utangulizi". Shaaban Robert: Ukakiki wa Maandishi Yake. Dar es Salaam: Longman Tanzania, 1975 • Kezilahabi, Euphrase. Ushairi wa Shaaban Robert. 1976. Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau, 1982. • Ndulute, Clement L. The Poetry of Shaaban Robert. Dar es Salaam: Dar es Salaam UP, 1994. • Rosenberg, Aaron L. "Making the case for popular songs in East Africa: Samba Mapangala and Shaaban Robert." Research in African Literatures (2008): 99–120.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,078 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Seyran AteşAuthor
- Şeyyad HamzaAuthor
- Seyyid Hasan PaşaAuthor
- Sezai KarakoçAuthor
- Shabankara'iAuthor
- Shabbir BanoobhaiAuthor
- Shabdrung Ngawang NamgyalAuthor
- ShabestariAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Shaaban Robert?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.