Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania - Sauti za Busara (Swahili = Sounds of Wisdom), has officially announced the program of the festival. The following list offers a taste of some of the groups that have been selected to participate.

MUZIKI WA DANSI – DANCE BANDS

Kilimanjaro Band (Tanzania), Patrick & Franck (Mayotte), Willom Tight & The Tight Family (Zimbabwe), African Revolution Band "Tamtam” (Tanzania)

AFRICAN ROOTS-POP FUSIONS

Eric Wainaina (Kenya), Nyota Ndogo (Kenya), Saki Stars (Tanzania), Afrikali Band (Tanzania), DJ Saleh (Zanzibar), Kashakali Group (Zanzibar)


NGOMA - TRADITIONAL MUSIC & DANCE

Intisar Abdel Fattah Nubian Drummers (Egypt), Jean Paul Samputu (Rwanda) “Most Promising African Male Artist” Awardwinner, KORA 2003; Bi Kidude (Zanzibar), Yangeyange Arts (Tanzania)

Imani Ngoma (Zanzibar), plus Black Roots Culture Group (Zanzibar), Basengo Arts (Tanzania), Africa Ngoma Stars (Tanzania), Super Stars Dancing Group (Zanzibar), Kilua Dancing Group (Zanzibar), DCMA Students (Zanzibar)

RELIGIOUS MUSIC

Intisar Abdel Fattah Nubian Drummers (Egypt), Mtendeni Maulidi ya Homu (Zanzibar)

TAARAB

Maulidi Juma & Mombasa Party (Kenya), Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Zanzibar), Culture Music Club (Zanzibar)

DCMA Baladna Taarab (Zanzibar), G-Clef Taarab (Zanzibar)


ACROBATS, THEATRE & COMEDY

Five Stars Acrobats (Zanzibar), Black Roots Culture Group (Zanzibar), Sekembuke + Halikuniki Comedy Group (Zanzibar)

SWAHILI HIPHOP / R’n’B

X Plastaz (Tanzania), Wazenji Kijiwe (Zanzibar), Al Hajj Goya (Zanzibar), Off Side Trick (Zanzibar),

Q.Some aka Hodari (Zanzibar), Jam Brothers (Zanzibar), Cool T. (Zanzibar), Eddy S aka Magongo (Zanzibar), YB (Zanzibar)

and ….

“Best Group of Tanzania” - Winner of Music Crossroads Southern Africa Regional Festival 2004

WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES

“Traditional Music Workshop” – 11 & 12 February

“Music Fusion Workshop” – 13 & 14 February

“Music Recording & Studio Skills” – 16 to 18 February

a 3-day weekend cultural extravaganza of music, theatre and dance, showcasing the very best of Swahili musical and artistic traditions - from the past, present and future.

The theme of this new festival in East Africa is Swahili Encounters, presenting a diversity of performing arts all rooted in Swahili language and traditions. Contemporary and traditional styles will be represented, alongside exciting new fusions and included will be some of the finest groups from the region and Swahili diaspora.

The 2004 inaugural Festival takes place in historic Stone Town, on the magical and welcoming islands of Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 13th -15th February, 2004.

Celebration of the diverse regional cultural traditions will be through performances combined with opportunities for learning, creative meetings and collaborative workshops. The shows and workshops will provide a challenging but vibrant forum for promoting dynamic artistic combinations and juxtapositions, bringing together unexpected but related combinations of ngoma styles, taarab, kidumbak, hip-hop (bongo flava), popular dance music and new and exciting fusions. Artists will be selected according to quality and excellence and relevance to the themes of the Festival, being Swahili Encounters and Sounds of Wisdom (Sauti za Busara).

The festival is organized by Busara Promotions - a non-governmental, non-political and non-profitable organization registered in Zanzibar. Sauti za Busara is one of its many regional events taking place throughout East Africa as part of the Swahili Encounters initiative as supported by Ford Foundation.

The mission of Swahili Encounters is “to encourage audiences to celebrate pluralism of cultural and religious diversity; to promote and develop opportunities for musicians and performing artists along the Swahili coast and islands to connect, learn and perform together; and to develop regional artistic cooperation, for the social, cultural and economic growth of East Africa and the Swahili region”.

The coastal – Swahili - people of Kenya and Tanzania have always enjoyed one of Africa’s most diverse societies. The East African coast has been on the trade routes of Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia for centuries. Here the religious, linguistic, artistic and musical voices of Arabia and Asia have met and blended with the traditional forms of inland Africa and later with the cultures, voices and faiths of colonial Europe.

In recent times this eclectic society has continued to absorb new influences. Since the liberalization of the media (and, in Tanzania, the markets also) in the 80s and 90s, young generations have embraced the pop music styles of the global north, now using hip hop and rap to frame the Swahili poetry that has always been the heart of local music.

During the week before the 2004 festival Busara Promotions collaborates with the Dhow Countries Music Academy to present a series of music-based workshops and masterclasses. For latest information contact: Busara Promotions, PO Box 3635, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Phone: +255 747 428478, Fax: +44 8701 321190. E-mail: busara@zanlink.com or busarapromotions@lycos.com.