With his striking looks Robin Batista, 45, could easily pass for a model himself – but he’s actually the man BEHIND the camera. Since almost 20 years.

Ni mmoja wa wapiga picha wenye uweledi mkubwa kisiwani Zanzibar na katika Mji Mkongwe (Stone Town), Robin Batista amehusika kupiga picha karibu shughuli zote zinazohusu maonyesho ya mitindo na harusi, kutoka matumizi ya kipekee ya drone na utengenezaji wa video kwa wateja binafsi hadi kwenye kadi za posta, kalenda, meza za vitabu na kadi za vyombo vya habari na blogu. 

Mtazamo wake kuhusu Zanzibar haujabadilika kwa miaka yote hii? Robin mwenye umri wa miaka 45 mpiga picha, ambaye amepata mafunzo katika chuo cha India cha CMYK, anacheka. “Wageni wanaweza kuona Zaidi, lakini naona vitu ambavyo wengine hawaoni.” Moja ya picha zake zinamwonyesha mwanamke akiwa katika vazi la kuvutia la kanga akiwa amebeba kuni katika ufukwe wa Jambiani – akiwa amependeza katika vazi lake la asili. Au kelele za mabati yaliyochakaa yanayoleta taswira ya eneo linaloitwa Stone Town, lenye umri wa mamia ya miaka na kama Havana in Cuba, yakififia katika uwepo wake tangu Zanzibar iwe sehemu ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania mwaka 1964. “Bado naona pazuri sana hapa”, anasema Batista, “kisiwa hiki ni paradiso kwa mpiga picha”

Born and grown here as a son of a Goan immigrant tailor, and therewith part of the last remains of the catholic Goan community in Zanzibar and Tanzania, he finds his motifs in the treasures of island life: the weathered alleys of historic Stone Town, the once glorious Arab palaces, the turquoise sea, the white beaches and – over and over again – in the calm passage of traditional wooden majahazi, wakisafiri kwa meli kando ya Mji Mkongwe.

Batista anajulikana vizuri zaidi kama XXL: 1,50 kwa 0,80 vipimo vya mita vya moja ya ngalawa zake za uvuvi zikiwa na mwonekano wa michoro mchanganyiko ya fukwe na nyumba za kiafrika –vikionekana kama michoro ya rangi na siyo picha. Picha zake za rangi na zisizo za rangi, mara nyingi zinakuzwa na kuwekwa kwenye fremu zikitundikwa katika kuta maarufu kwa watalii na wakazi pia, zikichukua mtazamo tofauti: Mathalani paa za Stone Town zikitengenezwa katika makaratasi na vitambaa vya canvas zinavuta uzuri kamili wa historia iliyopita na kubaki bado kuonekana makazi ya Zaidi ya wakazi 10.000. Picha zake za kuchora zinauzwa kati ya dola $50 hadi $300.

Still a bachelor, Robin Batista has photographed “500 weddings in the last 15 years” and witnessed Zanzibar becoming an attractive honeymoon destination. But ”although weddings are very enjoyable, intimate moments’ ‘ that’s not where his heart is: “A lot of famous photographers have passed through Zanzibar; I want to keep their artistic tradition alive”, he says. Recently he curated a successful exhibition at the Old Dispensary featuring Goan and Portuguese photographers such as the Coutinho Bros, A.C. Gomes and Pereira de Lord who arrived in Zanzibar as early as the 1890’s. In the pipeline is a new project about Zanzibar’s famous carved wooden doors.

Located on busy Gizenga Street opposite Istiqama mosque, his shop with a simple signpost “Robin Batista Zanzibar” has grown into a full-fledged photo gallery over the years. An organic soap shop to the right, a baraza benchi ya mawe na wauzaji matunda upande wa kushoto, Robin Batista mwembamba ni sehemu ya maisha ya mtaani mwenyewe, studio yake inafunika sakafu ya chini ya 19.^th nyumba ya familia ya karne: "Inagharimu sana na inachukua muda kutunza jengo kuu la Mji Mkongwe", anasema. "Kwa mfano nguzo za mikoko zinazoshikilia dari zinapaswa kubadilishwa kila baada ya muda fulani." Lakini Batista hangependa kuishi popote pengine: “Ni upekee wa Mji Mkongwe kuwakaribisha wakazi kutoka tabaka zote za maisha. Wakati wenyeji wanahama na ni hoteli za boutique pekee zinazoingia – huo ndio mwisho wa Mji Mkongwe kama tunavyoujua”, anasema. (KATIKA)

Info:

Robin Batista Zanzibar

155 Mtaa wa Gizenga, Mji Mkongwe

Simu. +255 777 575 664

@robinbatistazanzibar

www.robinbatista.com