Utenzi

Utenzi, also utendi, is a genre of narrative poetry in the Swahili language traditionally used to recount heroic deeds; the term derives from the verb ku-tenda, to do, with utendi denoting a single act or deed and tendi its plural. Classical works in the genre include the Utendi wa Tambuka by Bwana Mwengo, dated to 1728 and among the earliest known literary works in Swahili, along with the Utenzi wa Shufaka and the Utenzi wa Vita vya Uhud, an account of the Battle of Uhud compiled around 1950 by Haji Chum. The genre uses a distinctive four-line stanza in which each line contains eight syllables: the first three lines share a common end rhyme, while the fourth line carries a separate rhyme repeated across the entire poem, unifying long compositions and giving special vocal emphasis to the final syllable when recited. Reciting utenzi remains a valued tradition at weddings and other ceremonial gatherings, where specialized narrators perform the epics for an audience.