Let’s talk about Musa Kamala: Second year Science & Engineering student, recipient of govt scholarship & ace of Kansei track team! While his name is unrelated to his Ekiden section, we can make some fascinating guesses on his background based on his name.

Musa hails from Tanzania, east Africa, home to Africa’s great lakes, Mt Kilimanjaro, dense forests, rich wildlife, beautiful bays & vibrant city life. However, he has never specified which part of Tanzania is home.

‘Musa’ is Arabic for the prophet Moses so we can assume he's a Muslim. Around 35% of Tanzanian population is Muslim, mostly living in Zanzibar region but also throughout coastal regions & inland urban areas along old trade routes. That tells us about where he might come from.

First, is Musa a practicing Muslim? Likely no. There’s no show of prayer rug/religious attire/diet restriction. This might be lack of research/time or it might be not a big part of his identity. His family could’ve intermarried with Christians/local faiths/not devout in general.

Now, keeping in mind that his family has Muslim roots, we can guess several places where he might come from: Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, or other cities and towns along old trade routes used by Muslim merchants.

Zanzibar region has islands with scenic beaches & old architectures. It’s a semi-autonomous region living off spice exports & tourism. A beautiful but heavy place to grow up in with a history of colonialism, slavery, environmental issues, economic disparity & bloody politics.

Dar es Salaam is the biggest city in Tanzania. It's an old coastal trade city with lively commerce & cultures, one of fastest growing city in Africa. Living here means Musa had good access to the best education & exposure to global cultures but also the usual ails of urban life

He can also come from Dodoma, the capital city at the center of Tanzania. Once a small market town, it is not as lively, historical, or big as Dar but Musa should be able to access good resources here. It would also mean he has a family of government workers.

My personal opinion is that he grew up in Dar or at least spent his high school years there. Why? He clearly has good educational resources. Info & paperwork for visa & scholarship applications are more accessible in cities too, not rural areas w poor roads & spotty internet.

These would indicate that Musa either grew up in a coastal and/or urban place, not a rural/forested/bush environment. But here Musa is shown with a “safari” imagery. Growing up in Tanzania, in Musa’s mind this is probably his idea of “beauty,” so he finds running beautiful.

Many languages are spoken in Tanzania. Musa’s mother tongue may have been a local language & he speaks Swahili as the national language. He then learned English & Japanese in school & may have picked up some Arabic as well. He speaks many languages!

Musa seems proud of his cultural heritage. We are shown that he keeps African textile and masks in his room. Masks are important symbols across African cultures, though I don’t actually know if this style is common to Tanzania.

Musa here wears a colorful tunic. In Tanzania he may also wear a richly patterned, batik-inspired Madiba shirt, or a plain white kanzu/kaftan (tunic) which has Arabic origins but is now worn widely by men of different faiths, paired with western suit jacket and kofia cap.

Actual Tanzanian textiles include the khanga & kitenge, bold textiles w rich patterns and vivid colors, usually worn by women. https://www.tanzania-experience.com/blog/khanga-clothing-for-africa/

Musa grew up surrounded by textiles with vivid colors and complex patterns, with both men and women wearing colorful outfits. I think that shows in his personal preference for pink - the brighter, the better!

Let’s talk about Musa’s studies. He may have chosen his major because he likes it/he wants to help his country/it’s an esteemed major in some African cultures. It’s a major for those who are committed - and studying it in his 3rd/4th language? With kanji? No small feat!

Japan is seen as a science & engin beacon to the global south, an alternative to Western education, with plenty scholarship programs. Musa seems to be a recipient of Japanese govt scholarship, possibly the infamous MEXT scholarship, which covers tuition & has monthly stipend.

More info on the MEXT scholarship here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monbukagakusho_Scholarship & https://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0302e.html . It enrolls >100 foreign students globally & annually & is very competitive. Musa would need recommendation from his embassy & spend 1 year studying Japanese before entering Kansei U.

As the Hakone Ekiden reporter says, Musa is a special student. He is both academically and athletically gifted but not at all arrogant.

Though he certainly has his anxieties and insecurities...

...and some heartwarming emotional moments as well.

Back to the name game: Musa is named after Moses, a revered prophet, fitting for someone who brings people together with unwavering support. He comes from afar to seek better education & his Japanese speech is not perfect. Nonetheless he is an inspiration to the team.

Musa leads with kindness & levelheadedness. Not only does he support his friends, he pulls the team together with his speed and reliability on the running tracks. As Haiji says, he runs “bravely, calmly, and without fail!”

And that's it for my Musa thread! Thanks for reading all the way to the end. Feel free to add/correct/discuss the thread or just show Musa some love!

Adding this thread with a fascinating article on traveling via the Uhuru (freedom) Railway from Dar es salaam to Zambia. Note how the author writes Tanzania as an agricultural nation with plenty fruits but rather poor management of infrastructure.

It's pointed out that China has long been investing in the region, so I can see Musa working on a Chinese infrastructure-engineering project, or a Japanese one given his education. He might also work for oil companies that struck big discoveries back in 2012.