Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) Swahili Music Festival

01/14/2005 08:57AM

Zanzibar, Tanzania - The next edition of Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) Swahili Music Festival will be taking place Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th February, 2005. The main venue for this year’s festival is again in historic Stone Town: the grassy side of Zanzibar’s Old Fort (“Mambo Club”) facing Forodhani Gardens and overlooking the Indian Ocean. Fittingly described by Ian Anderson in fROOTS magazine as “the big club venue most world music festival organizers would die for”. Freshly grilled prawns, octopus, squid, fish kebabs are all prepared on site, with a bar and stalls selling local crafts.

The main aim of the festival is to showcase the wealth and diversity of Swahili music and we are proud to announce that many of East Africa’s finest groups are confirmed to participate:

From East Africa

Dance/ Guitar bands: The Kilimanjaro Band (“Wananjenje”), Zanzibar Moonlight Jazz Band

Music Fusion: Saida Karoli, Manyani Nani, Sisi Tambala

Hip Hop and Urban Music: Juma Nature & Wanaume, Wazenji Kijiwe, Klear Kut, Stara Thomas, Solo Thang, BTB, DJ Saleh

Taarab & Kidumbak: Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Malindi Taarab), Culture Musical Club, Segere Original, Sosoliso Kidumbak, Zein l’Abdin Trio, DCMA Student Group

Ngoma & Traditional Music: Bi Kidude, Chibite Group, Beni ya Kilua, Black Roots, Jagwa Music (Mchiriku), Hiyari ya Moyowo (Kirumbizi), Imani Ngoma, Matimba Arts, Ngoma ya Kibati, Kidutani & Jang’ombe Nursery Schools

Religious Sufi Music: Maulidi ya Homu ya Mtendeni

Theatre, Comedy, Acrobatics: Jambo Brothers, Halikuniki Comedy Group

From the rest of the world:

El Tanbura Group (Egypt), Seiyun Popular Arts (Yemen), Imena (Rwanda), Ndeef Leng (Senegal), Pamuzinda (Zimbabwe). The final festival program is pending. 100% of confirmations will be published at the end of January.

Guest of Honor for 2005 Festival is Bi Kidude, Zanzibar’s 93-year old cultural ambassador, traditional healer and bare-foot diva of taarab and unyago ngoma, who has been traveling the world to sing, drum and entertain since the 1920s.

Ticker Information: Free admission to all before 8pm daily (standing room only). After 8pm, residents 500/-TSh (US$0.50) (standing room only). After 8pm, non-residents 1,000/- TSh (US $1) (standing room only). VIP Daily Pass 5,000/- (US $5) (with seating). VIP All Festival Pass (4 Days) 10,000/- (US $10) (with seating).

[Photo 2 of Bi Kidude at a previous edition of the festival].

World Music Central
http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050107205758977