2009 festival programme 72 page booklet (PDF

Transcription

2009 festival programme 72 page booklet (PDF
NGO Sponsor
Principal Sponsor
Ford Foundation
Zantel
main sponsors
Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation SDC
Embassy of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands
CULTURESFRANCE
British Council,
Tanzania
Goethe Institut
Tanzania
Norwegian Embassy
Tanzania
logo sponsors
T h e
S o u v e n i r
E m p o r i u m
media sponsors
festival party sponsor
Thanks to:
Dhow Countries Music Academy, Alliance Française de Nairobi, Embassy of Germany, Faculty of Arts and
Science (EA) - Aga Khan University, Stone Town Café, Mercury’s Restaurant, Archipelago Café & Restaurant,
Clove Hotel, Kidude Café Restaurant, Tabasam Tours, Zanlink, Tower Top at 236 Hurumzi, Hakuna Matata
Beach Lodge, Monsoon Restaurant, Serena Inn, Chavda Hotel, Southern Sun DSM, Malindi Hotel, Ultimate
Security, ScreenStation (UK), Linear Velocity, Footcandles, 1time airline, National Arts Council of Namibia,
www.zanzibar.net, and to all the people of Zanzibar
Front cover: Jagwa Music at SzB05 by Masoud Khamis; Back cover: Audience at SzB07 by Issa Michuzi;
All photographs copyright acknowledged.
Board of Trustees
6
Director’s Cut
9
Carnival Parade
11
Artists A-Z
13
Festival timetable - at a glance
36
Busara Xtra
38
Festival Finalé Party
41
Workshops & Skills Building
61
Routes in Rhythm Top CDs
64
Busara Through the Year
66
Map of Stone Town
69
Published by: Busara Promotions
PO Box 3635, Zanzibar, Tanzania
+255 24 223 2423
+255 784 925 499
+255 773 822 294
[email protected],
www.busaramusic.org
Designed by: Peter Bennett, [email protected]
Printed by: The Corporate Image, Dar es Salaam, +255 22 218 3982
4 Sauti za Busara 2009
Mr Simai Mohamed Said,
(Chairman)
Owner of Mercury’s Restaurant;
Chairman, Zanzibar Association of
Tourism Investors; Member of the Rotary
Club of Stone Town, Zanzibar.
Simai Mohamed Said
Mr Waziri Ally,
(Vice Chair)
Musician, Director, Producer
Kilimanjaro Band / Njenje Productions
Dar es Salaam.
Ms Hildegard Kiel,
(Treasurer)
Festival Curator, “Worlds of the Indian
Ocean”, Aga Khan University (EA)
Waziri Ally
Hildegard Kiel
Mr Rugemarila Mutahaba,
(Founder member)
General Manager
Clouds Entertainments,
Dar es Salaam.
Mr Emerson Skeens,
(Founder member)
Rugemarila
Mutahaba
Hotelier;
Founder member of ZIFF, DCMA and
various philanthropic organizations.
Emerson Skeens
Mr Yussuf Ahmed Aley,
(Founder member)
Managing Director, Taff Promotions;
Managing Director, 90.9 Chuchu FM,
Zanzibar
Mr Ahmed Juma Mohamed,
(Founder member)
Yussuf Ahmed Aley
6 Sauti za Busara 2009
Ahmed Juma
Chief Instructor Zanzibar Aviation &
Travel (ZAT); musician, member, advisor
Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Malindi Taarab) and
Spice Modern Taarab.
...bringing people together 7
Chema Culture Group (Pemba) SzB 2007 photo: Masoud Khamis
In an ever-shrinking world, where we
are tempted by global technologies and
tastes, it would be all too easy to throw
away our traditions and abandon our
identities. At Busara, we celebrate our
differences: the languages, traditions,
and colours that make us all unique and
special.
Zanzibar continues to be a great example
where Africans, Arabs, Europeans and
Asians live and work, side by side. At
festival time, visitors come from near
and far; from neighbouring villages,
countries and continents. Some are
curious newcomers; others show up year
after year.
The audience is part of the magic that
makes Sauti za Busara. Through the
Sounds of Wisdom, we rise above
national borders and people are united
in joy and celebration. With words,
sounds, rhythm and emotion comes
power – music brings change.
This year’s musical feast is richer and
tastier than ever. As always our main
focus is to showcase the wealth and
variety of East African music - up coming
and established groups; acoustic and
electric; innovative and classic; from city
and shamba. We also welcome visiting
performers from across Africa: from
Cape Town to Cairo, from Casablanca to
Comoros, all bringing their flavours to the
mix.
Heartfelt thanks to all the musicians,
technicians, donors and sponsors,
festival crew and to all of you who help to
realise our dreams. Feel free, enjoy the
vibes and be inspired.
8 Sauti za Busara 2009
Karibu sana. Welcome to the friendliest
festival on the planet.
Mr Yusuf Mahmoud,
(Festival Director)
aka DJ Yusuf, and recipient of
2007 BBC World Music Shaker Award
...bringing people together 9
A street parade kicks off the festivities
featuring a beni brass band, drummers,
wanandege (umbrella women), dancers,
stilt walkers and acrobats.
Everyone is welcome to join in from
the start, or along the way it’s a unique
experience and a great way to see the
town.
FESTIVAL PARADE ROUTE
Thu 12 February 2009
4:00pm Departs Kariakoo Children’s
Fairground
4:10pm Radio Zanzibar
(Raha Leo)
4:20pm Darajani Market
4:40pm Malindi Police Station
4:50pm Zanzibar Port
5:00pm Palace Museum,
House of Wonders
5:10pm Arrives Old Fort
Timings approximate and may vary depending
on traffic!
Once the parade reaches the Old Fort
it continues inside to the Mambo Club
(grassy side) where the main stage of the
festival is set and ready for four days of
top music performances.
See map on page 69 for route.
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...bringing people together 11
BEST OF WAPI (Pan Africa)
Sat 14, 5:10pm Old Fort
afro / fusion
WaPi (Words and Pictures) is a monthly
arts event organised by the British
Council in Tanzania to provide a platform
for new, raw creative talent from all art
forms to perform and present to large
audiences of young people.
WaPi has a regular following in Tanzania,
Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria
and is now spreading to other African
countries.
At Sauti za Busara 2009, we proudly
showcase “The Best of WaPi – Africa”,
featuring:
Jonny Ragga (Ethiopia) From Addis
Ababa, Jonny Ragga's musical passion
is reggae. With his Medina Band he
has performed around North America,
Europe, Middle East and Africa. Jonny
is involved in every aspect of his music,
from writing the lyrics and melodies to
production arrangements. He is currently
working on his own record label JR
Productions for young and up coming
artists. His first solo album Give Me The
Key was released in 2005. He has won
many awards including Best Music Video
(Ethiopian Music Awards, 2005); Best
East African Musician (Channel O Music
Awards, 2006) and first place at the
Fest‘Horn festival (Djibouti, 2006).
Jesse Jagz (Nigeria) Jesse Abaga, aka
Jesse Jagz, was born in Jos, Nigeria. Both
his parents are pastors with a musical
inclination so he was inspired by the
church choir from an early age. He
started playing drums aged seven. He
was soon performing and rapping at
secondary school, where he also started
a dance group. His group Eleven Thirty
quickly became a huge success in Jos.
12 Sauti za Busara 2009
In 2005 and 2006 Jesse Jagz had five
songs simultaneously dominating the top
ten charts on Nigerian radio stations. His
debut album This Jagged Life is due for
release in 2009.
Jojo Body Beat (Nigeria) Joseph Ololade
Omotoye aka Jojo Body Beat plays afro
beats using his body parts. A diploma
holder in Theatre Arts from Lagos
State University, Jojo has the unique
ability of producing musical and well
orchestrated sound through the beating
of unexpected parts of his body. He is an
MC, musical comedian, drummer, dancer
and performer who can perform on any
platform and fuse with any kind of music
or musician. He has shared the stage
with King Sunny Ade, Lagbaja, Femi Kuti
and been the subject of a BBC World
television documentary.
Ozzeey (Tanzania) Ozzeey began his
musical journey in Moshi before moving
to Zambia, where he learnt to play guitar
and keyboards. He has performed in
Swaziland and South Africa where he
also studied computer science. Having
spent a few years playing live music and
...bringing people together 13
producing in Cape Town, he returned to
Tanzania in 2005. Ozzeey is a founding
member of the Conscious Music Network
and a key player in the compilation
album Haki Sawa. More info: www.
myspace.com/ozedzeewhy
Zero Kasorobo (Zanzibar) Kassim Yusuf
Mohamed, aka Zero Kasorobo, was born
in 1972 in Pemba. He has an abundance
of talents; he is a poet, a singer, a
qualified martial artist, comedian and
talented rapper. His unique poetry is
delivered in a contemporary Swahili style.
At WaPi events he asks the audience
to fire any question which he'll always
answer in a poetic but hilarious style
leaving audiences laughing their hearts
out.
Wenyeji (Kenya) Zakah and Swalleh, a
rap duo, are members of the infamous
Dandora slum-based rap unit Ukoo Flani
Mau Mau. They form an enviable team
of lyrical partners who rhyme about the
streets of Dandora, life in the ghetto
and youth frustrations. More info: www.
myspace.com/wenyeji
GNL Zamba (Uganda) Ernest Nsimbi, aka
GNL, is a multi faceted Ugandan hiphop
artist who uses Luganda and English to
express himself. He is also a songwriter,
poet and music video scriptwriter. His
love for philosophy inspired him to use
the initials GNL; originating from the
Aztec civilisation saying “At the highest
degree of self expression, you achieve
greatness of no limits”. GNL expresses
African pride and a love for African
culture in his careful weaving of stories.
He is currently working on an album Koyi
Koyi: Riddles of Life. In it, he expresses
the dreams and aspirations of Africa's
youth and the difficulties they and the
rest of the continent are going through to
achieve them.
with thanks to
British Council
BI KIDUDE (Zanzibar)
Sat 14, 7:05pm Old Fort
taarab / traditional / ngoma
Bi Kidude bint Baraka is Zanzibar's most
famous cultural ambassador and East
Africa's legendary barefoot diva of taarab
and unyago traditional music.
Bi Kidude's exact date of birth is
unknown; much of her life story is
uncorroborated, giving her an almost
mythical status. Kidude started out
her musical career in the 1920s, and
learnt many of her songs with Siti bint
Saad. She has performed in countries
all around Europe, Africa, Middle East
and Japan and finally recorded her first
solo album Zanzibar only ten years ago,
whilst already in her mid-eighties. Having
contributed tracks to many international
compilations (on Retro-Afric, Piranha,
Globestyle, Jahazi, even EMI-Virgin record
labels), only recently did she release
her own second locally-produced album
(Machozi ya Huba, Heartbeat Records)
with her traditional singing and drums
influencing the burgeoning Zenji Flava
local hiphop scene in one of the most
remarkable juxtapositions of musical
style in modern world music.
As well as being East Africa's most
famous taarab singer, Bi Kidude
performs traditional unyago music. In her
90s, she is still very much the island's
leading exponent of this ancient dance
ritual, performed exclusively for teenage
girls, which uses traditional rhythms to
teach women to pleasure their husbands,
while lecturing against the dangers of
sexual abuse and oppression.
In October 2005, Bi Kidude was
presented with the World Music Expo
(WOMEX) Lifetime Achievement Award.
Renowned African music expert Banning
Eyre delivered a moving tribute, in which
he informed delegates that “the singer,
well in her nineties yet still sporting a
bone-crushing handshake, received
14 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 15
Bi Kidude (Zanzibar) SzB 08 photo: Bob_Sankofa
the honours in recognition of her more
than 80 years of singing and serving
as a cultural mediator and advisor of
the younger generations, including on
matters of sex and marriage - a proper
symbol of World Music's emancipatory,
liberating and strengthening power.”
www.asoldasmytongue.net
Recordings:
Zanzibar (1995), Machozi ya Huba
(2003), Zanzibara 4: Bi Kidude (2006)
CAROLA KINASHA & SHADA
(Tanzania)
Fri 13, 8:15pm Old Fort
afropop / fusion / band
Both Tanzanian and Maasai by tribe,
Carola Kinasha was born as one of eight
children in Longido, a remote village
near the Kenyan border. Her father
16 Sauti za Busara 2009
played accordion, her brothers played
piano, organ and guitar, and her mother
still sings in the village choir. Village
life in Longido didn't mean isolation
from outside musical influences. While
away at school or travelling, Carola's
older siblings would bring home music
from other worlds. Her late brother Esto
brought home country music, gospel and
calypso; Abedi soul and classical, Oculi
Tanzanian and Congolese music while
her sister Juddy brought home South
African music. At the same time Carola
would attend every traditional ceremony
within walking distance of her home,
where she could hear Maasai warriors
and girls singing and dancing.
It is little wonder that Carola is now
recognised as one of the pioneers of
traditional fusion music in Tanzania. “We
need to be innovative and devise means
to come up with our own Tanzanian
musical identity”, says Carola. “We
...bringing people together 17
cannot rely on aping while we have
a treasure of traditional sounds that
can be a source of a strong Tanzanian
musical identity.”
Carola's band Shada began in the late
80s with the aim of creating an authentic
Tanzanian sound. Maono, meaning vision
in Swahili, is their second album. The
music crosses cultural boundaries, from
Tanzania to the Congo, a unique blend of
the traditional with the present, proudly
Tanzanian and forever Maasai.
www.carolakinasha.com
Recordings:
Maono (2007)
COMRADE FATSO AND
CHABVONDOKA (Zimbabwe)
Sun 15, 9:15pm Old Fort
hiphop / floetry / chimurenga / afropop
Farai Monro, a dreadlocked underground
rebel who sings in both English
and Shona, has caused enormous
controversy in Zimbabwe. Combining
hiphop beats, African rhythms and highlypoliticised lyrics criticising the rule of
Mugabe; the music has been banned by
Zimbabwe's state radio and television
channels, forcing Fatso and his group to
promote the album via unconventional
methods.
“We have it available in shops, cafes
and independent stores”, he says, “but
at the same time we have our own
guerrilla tactics of getting the word
out into the townships. We have street
teams of comrades who distribute
hundreds of copies of the album into
the kombis (public mini-buses) used by
ordinary Zimbabweans. So we create an
alternative ‘people's radio’ as the album
gets played in hundreds of kombis.”
Fatso began writing poetry when growing
up in Zimbabwe in his teens, before
travelling abroad to take a university
course in the UK. “When I returned to
18 Sauti za Busara 2009
Zimbabwe I knew I wanted to be part of
the struggle for freedom and I wanted
to create a new, radical culture of
performance poetry”, he says. The two
came together in what he calls toyi toyi
poetry, named after the spontaneous
foot-stomping dance of protest that
became a famous expression of
resistance in apartheid-era South Africa.
Mixing English and Shona with street
slang, political sloganising and hiphop
rhythms, he cites dub poet Linton Kwesi
Johnson, Fela Kuti and Thomas Mapfumo
as his main sources of inspiration. “I
always knew that I wanted to marry
words with music and to create a new
urban, African sound of struggle. Instead
of music being used to turn African youth
into passive consumers and obedient
citizens, we need music that makes us
move and dance against poverty and
dictatorship. Chabvondoka means ‘it's a
riot’ - and that's exactly what our music
is.”
2008 has seen Comrade Fatso and
Chabvondoka launch their muchacclaimed album, House of Hunger,
banned in Zimbabwe but labelled by
Agence France Presse as “the most
revolutionary album since Thomas
Mapfumo's music in the 1970s.” Fatso
and Chabvondoka have performed
extensively at festivals in France, UK,
Holland, Kenya, Reunion, Botswana,
Malawi, Swaziland and South Africa.
Fatso's poetry and music have appeared
in print and broadcast media in over fifty
countries around the world.
“Word by word, song by song, we will build
a new Zimbabwe”, Comrade Fatso insists.
www.comradefatso.com
Recordings:
House of Hunger (2008)
with thanks to
CULTURESFRANCE
...bringing people together 19
Comrade Fatso (photo MACPHERSON PHOTOGRAPHERS)
CULTURE MUSICAL CLUB
(Zanzibar)
Thu 12, 7:05pm Old Fort
taarab / traditional
Founded in 1958, the Culture Musical
Club is Zanzibar's premier taarab
club. The orchestra performs widely
at concerts in Zanzibar town, but also
frequently travels overland with a foldup stage and an electricity generator to
bring its music to the rural areas. The
club has released hundreds of songs
on the local market and since 1988
they have had five releases on the
international market. The group have
been performing in Europe regularly
since 1996, and in the past few years
they have done shows in United States,
Dominican Republic and Japan.
Besides taarab, many club members
are also active in kidumbak groups,
smaller ensembles that play a more
down-home, dance-focused music. Both
types of music are now included in their
shows, contrasting the serene sound
of orchestral taarab to the festive and
sexually charged dance that is kidumbak.
The taarab orchestra includes three
violins, qanun, oud, two accordions,
double bass, dumbak, bongos and rika,
plus singers and female chorus. The
kidumbak side features three violins,
sanduku (tea-chest bass), two kidumbak
drums, cherewa (maracas) and mkwasa
(claves), female chorus and dancers.
Recordings:
Taarab 4: The Music of Zanzibar
– Culture Musical Club (1988), Spices
of Zanzibar (1996), Kidumbak Kalcha:
Ng’ambo – The Other Side of Zanzibar
(1997), Bashraf – Taarab Instrumentals
from Zanzibar (2000), Waridi – Parfums
de Zanzibar (2003), Zanzibar – Soul &
Rhythm (2003)
Yusuf established Sauti za Busara music
festival in 2004 yet still finds time to DJ
regularly at hotels and beach resorts
around Zanzibar under the banner of
Routes in Rhythm. In 2007 he received a
BBC World Music Award acknowledging
his contribution to music promotion in
East Africa.
DJ SIDE (Zanzibar)
Tue 17, Kendwa Rocks
dj
Said Abdallah, aka DJ Side, is one of the
island's hardest-working radio presenters.
DJ Side (pronounced “see-day”) spends
most of his time at Zenji FM (96.8),
Sauti ya Pwani (“Voice of the Coast”)
- Zanzibar's first private radio station.
Side started in music at Zanzibar's Dhow
Countries Music Academy (DCMA), where
he did a course on sound production. He
was soon doing the rounds at the local
night clubs. At 26 years he is now only
known as DJ Side and is acknowledged
to be among the best on the isles.
His talents are acknowledged by young
and old but, unfortunately, his close
relatives frown at his rare natural gifts.
Despite his achievements, both parents
and siblings strongly disagree with the
line of profession he has chosen. They
frequently tell him to leave music alone
and get himself a “decent job”. However,
there are no signs of Side giving in.
“Music is my drive”, he says. “They are
always trying to advise me into finding
some other type of work because they
think it is against our Muslim religion
and family tradition. In our family history
there has never been someone involved
with music. But this is what I love from
deep within myself and it is what I
feel confident doing. My parents must
understand that music is my drive. If you
ask me not to listen to music, it will be
like you've locked me in jail”, he cautions.
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ZIFF Festival of the Dhow Countries. In
2003 Yusuf moved on to set up Busara
Promotions, a non-profit NGO working
throughout East Africa to promote local
and international music, build skills
of regional artists and develop crossregional networks.
On Zenji FM, DJ Side has a show on
Mondays to Fridays from 2pm to 4pm,
called “The Crash”, where he plays
music from around the world. He has
another spot “Zenji Flavour Night”, which
he developed after observing the high
standard of local musical talent among
the youth. On Sunday lunchtimes DJ Side
presents the Zenji FM Top 20 and finally
he has yet another slot called “Reggae
Vitamin” late night on Sundays.
The focus of Routes in Rhythm is on
diversity and juxtaposition, and DJ Yusuf
is very much on a musical mission.
On his playlist always are the latest
dancefloor fillers from Dar es Salaam,
mixed with the phattest beats from all
over Africa, the Caribbean, Arabia and
beyond.
Transcending all the boundaries musicwise, expect the unexpected.
DJ YUSUF (UK / Zanzibar)
Tue 17, Kendwa Rocks
dj / urban / fusion
Originally from UK, where he started
promoting African music to raise funds
and awareness for the Anti-Apartheid
Movement in the early 1980s he set
up Beat the Border and VSO's Routes
in Rhythm, DJ-ing and promoting
international music concerts, festivals,
conferences and workshops around
the UK to raise awareness and promote
positive images of the global south.
Since 1998 DJ Yusuf has been based
in Stone Town, Zanzibar, where until
2002 he was director of the music
and performing arts programme for
...bringing people together 21
ELEMOTHO (Namibia)
Sun 15, 6:00pm Old Fort
afropop / roots
Elemotho Gaalelekwe Richardo
Mosimane is a Namibian born musician
who composes, records and plays his
own music. Elemotho plays acoustic
guitar and sings in his mother tongue
Setswana as well as other Namibian
languages.
Through his music, Elomotho turns
oppression into liberation and failure
into triumph, where past, present and
future is delivered through his melodies.
By the unstoppable force of music he is
able to transmit feelings and ideas that
challenge the status quo and leave no
stone unturned.
“Music is many things for many people.
There are many ingredients to the music
I make. From roots to dreams, hopes
to fears. I like to paint a picture where
chords are not just tangible but energy
is felt and words carry a power beyond
bullets and hunger.”
From rural boy to modern lyricist this
artist has succeeded to divorce himself
from the more prevalent commercial
and easily consumable sounds by using
experimental ideas where reality is
amplified through his vision of music.
“Story telling around the fire is what I
grew up with, so when I realised I was
tired of performing other people's music
I wanted to create something that could
make you dance as well as listen, smile
as well as cry, find peace as well as
wisdom.”
Elomotho's roots are in the Kalahari.
He studied African philosophy and
psychology at university. With support
from the Franco Namibian Cultural
Centre, Elemotho recently recorded a
highly-acclaimed album The System
is a Joke. The album contains a feast
of social commentary, a celebration of
Namibian identity, the freedom of jazz
and a healthy dose of African spirituality.
www.elemotho.com
Recordings:
The System is a Joke (2008)
with thanks to National Arts
Council of Namibia
IDDI ACHIEN’G (Kenya)
Sat 14, 8:15pm Old Fort
afropop / fusion / benga
Born in Nairobi, Iddi Achien’g was
introduced to music by her mother who
sang around her as she went about her
daily chores. She was exposed to music
both in church and at home, and it
wasn't long before she joined the youth
choir.
After school, while pursuing music
and drama professionally, she met
one of Kenya's best renowned music
22 Sauti za Busara 2009
producers and arrangers, Tabu Osusa.
Impressed by her vocal prowess and
stage command, he signed her onto the
Nairobi City Ensemble as the lead and
only female vocalist. Under his tutelage,
she further sharpened her musical
intellect.
She kicked off her solo career by
recording and releasing her debut
album, Thim Lich, earning a nomination
at the Kisima awards in the afro-fusion
category. Iddi has toured and performed
at festivals and shows worldwide. In
October 2007 she was in Oslo, Norway,
for the World Music Festival, and the
Bergen International Festival. Iddi has
performed in Djibouti, Sweden, Ethiopia,
Tanzania and Uganda.
Iddi sings in Luo, her mother tongue as
well as other languages including Swahili,
Luganda, Dinka, Arabic and English. She
sites her musical influences as Angelique
Kidjo, Dobet Gnahore, Haddy Njie, Ogoya
Nengo and Baaba Maal, among others.
A socially conscious artist, through her
music Iddi addresses social issues
with emphasis on co-existence, love,
peace, freedom, development of African
women and a deeper understanding and
appreciation of her culture.
Iddi Achien’g says her music style
is a fusion of traditional music
interspersed with modern beats, styles
and arrangements. The traditional
instruments orutu, djembe, nyatiti always
feature in her songs as heard on Thim
Lich (the forest is an unpredictable
place). It can be described as a truly
Kenyan sound. Globalisation is not all
about economic standardisation. We
should all make a proactive contribution
to our diversity with an objective of
appreciating the very best of one
another's culture.
www.iddiachieng.net/
Recordings:
Thim Lich (2005)
with thanks to Alliance
Française de Nairobi
...bringing people together 23
JAGWA MUSIC (Tanzania)
Fri 13, midnight Old Fort
mchiriku / urban / roots
From the poor suburbs of Dar es Salaam,
Jagwa Music play a style of music with
chakacha roots known as mchiriku. The
group features minimal instruments
including a hand-held Casio keyboard,
a few drums, whistles and a battered
old stool beaten with sticks for extra
percussive flavour.
Jagwa Music guarantees to set any
concert venue ablaze with explosive
performances that always keep the
crowds jumping and bouncing from start
to finish. Their stage show is awesome:–
a non-stop gymnastic workout
choreographed with skill and sensitivity,
combining theatrics, acrobatic prowess,
no small amount of humour and energy.
Song lyrics are embellished on the
spot with spontaneous commentary,
depending on what's going on in the
news and who's around in the audience.
Usually combined with witty observations
about the daily struggles of survival in a
world surrounded by injustice.
local radio stations, despite its popularity
with the urban youth. Radio presenters
allege this is because it was always
considered to be music for poor people
and associated with drinking and bhangsmoking.
Jagwa Music got a lucky break in 2005
when they performed at WOMEX (UK).
Their refreshing energy and rawness was
greatly appreciated by many delegates,
rarely seen these days in Europe where
African music is often sanitised by the
“world music” fashionmongers.
The group is now receiving enquiries
from festival promoters all around the
globe and it's looking like mchiriku
music will finally gain some international
recognition and respect.
Jagwa Music and Jahazi Media are
currently working on a new recording for
international release in summer 2009.
Recordings:
numerous cassette releases in Tanzania
with thanks to Jahazi Media
These days you rarely hear mchiriku on
24 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 25
JOH MAKINI (Tanzania)
KHETHI WITH KIBO SOUNDS
hiphop / urban
John Simon, aka Joh Makini, hails from
Arusha, a city with a highly credible “hard
core” emergent Swahili hiphop scene.
He has been involved in music since
1997 but it wasn't until 2004 that his
name started to be spoken in almost
reverential terms. This coincided with the
release of Hawapendi, quickly followed
by Hao. In 2006 the single Chochote
Popote sealed his reputation and was a
massive hit all over Tanzania.
Thu 12, 9:45pm Old Fort
Fri 13, 11:05pm Old Fort
JANG’OMBE NURSERY SCHOOL
(Zanzibar)
Thu 12, 8:15pm Old Fort
traditional / ngoma
Jang’ombe School was established in
1982 with five classes, at nursery, junior
and senior level, which have now grown
to seven classes with a total of four
hundred kids.
The school has a special traditional
dance class, teaching different kinds
of dances from around Zanzibar and
Tanzania.
Having built up a reputation throughout
the country, every year Jang’ombe
Nursery School is invited to perform
in different public occasions. They
participated in junior traditional dance
competitions in Zanzibar and Dar es
Salaam in 1999, 2002 and 2003
winning all three events.
The school also participated in the
second Sauti za Busara festival in 2005
where they received riotous applause
from parents and friends during their
show of kirumbizi (stick-fighting dance,
originally from Pemba).
26 Sauti za Busara 2009
In 2007 Joh Makini released his first
album, Zamu Yangu, followed by
another string of hit singles including
Ufalme, Muda, Niaje and Vip. Much
of his musical success is due to never
forgetting his roots, and working with
Tanzania's leading hiphop and bongo
flava producers, including Profesa Ludigo,
MJ Records, Pasu kwa Pasu, Mandugu
Digital (Nairobi), Lamar of Bongo
Records.
Joh Makini's live shows are incendiary
and he has already shared the stage
with Jay Z, Ja Rule, 50 Cent as well as
many of East Africa's finest.
www.eastafricantube.com/media/1216/Joh_
Makini_feat_Keisha_-_Sitochoka/
(South Africa / Tanzania)
afrosoul / jazz
Khethi is a charismatic singer-songwriter
from South Africa.
Since 2003 she has been travelling and
collaborating with bands in Botswana,
Malawi, England and France. In South
Africa she plays with Afrodiziac band.
KATAPILA ‘SANGULA’ NGOMA
(Tanzania)
Sat 14, 11:25pm Old Fort
urban / roots
Katapila Ngoma started in 1980, with 15
musicians playing traditional drum and
dance music of the Pogoro tribe, from
Morogoro region of mainland Tanzania.
In 2008, Khethi relocated to DSM,
Tanzania where she formed a new fourpiece band, Kibo Sounds, and performs
regularly at the Movenpick Royal Palm
Hotel.
Khethi with Kibo Sounds represent the
cultural crossroads of a South African
vocalist collaborating with Tanzanian
musicians. Together they produce a rich
variety of music, inspired by jazz, soul
and funk.
Around 1986 they added more cultural
traditions to their regular repertoire,
including sindimba, lizombe and others.
From 1990 their fan base started to
explode, when they developed a new
‘Sangula’ style, incorporating guitar and
keyboards with the more traditional
drums and shakers.
The group is based in Dar es Salaam,
where they often perform for government
functions and weddings. The group has
released one album to date on cassette,
with eight songs that have become
almost legendary. This release sold like
hot cakes and is now almost impossible
to find. We hope their show at Sauti za
Busara will encourage the group to make
more recordings to be available soon.
Recordings:
Mimi na Wewe Ndugu Moja (2007)
www.khethi.com
with thanks to
1time airline
...bringing people together 27
KIUMBIZI (Pemba)
Thu 12, 6:00pm Old Fort
Sat 14, 4:15pm Old Fort
traditional / ngoma
Kiumbizi has been performing together
since 1996. Featuring up to 20 men and
women, they perform styles of traditional
music and dance, which are unique
and special to Pemba island. Kiumbizi
is a kind of stick dance-meets-martial
arts and Boso, a rhythmic circle dance.
These ngoma styles date back centuries,
since a time when Zanzibar was under
Portuguese colonisation. Kiumbizi group
has participated at many ceremonies
and celebrations. They live in Pujini
village, Chake Chake district, an area in
Pemba famous for its traditional dances
and cultural vibrance.
MAMILLION (South Africa)
Sat 14, 1:05am Old Fort
while dominating the kwaito scene.
Mamillion's recent debut CD Phakama
is filled with party songs, tracks inspired
by social struggles and a constant
ambition of making his first R 1,000,000
through music. The album also includes
the bonus track Gatvol that directly
targets taxi drivers for their controversial
behaviour.
With the help of talented producers
like 635, Mellow and B-MA, the
album demonstrates how Tsotsi
Taal Productions are developing and
grooming young upcoming musicians
and producers. The charismatic
Mamillion has successfully put together
an educative, motivational and
entertaining album, featuring hits like
Mzimba Nyakaza, Thingz Change, Gatvol
and more.
Recordings:
Phakama (2007)
urban / kwaito / hiphop
Sphiwe Ngwenya, aka Mamillion, hails
from Soweto. He is inspired by township
life, changes and challenges. He aims to
take kwaito (the music associated with
the black youth of post-apartheid South
Africa) back to the TKZee era (19978) with his beats, whilst fused with a
modern sensibility.
Mamillion's main objective is to entertain
28 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 29
song at the age of 14 and at the age
of 18 he began learning accordion and
keyboard. When his beloved teacher and
mentor Seif Salim died in 2000 he took
up playing the violin.
experiences of the musicians and the
challenges they go through that seek to
stop them from pursuing their dreams.
Hits including Kilio Cha Mtu Mzima, Kaza
Moyo are perennial dancefloor fillers
at any venue in Tanzania, remaining
popular with people of all ages.
In 1988 he recorded for GlobeStyle
Records of London as singer and violinist
with Nadi Ikhwan Safaa.
But his big breakthrough came after
two years of voice coaching in Cologne,
Germany where he was encouraged to
pursue his career with his own band
Nyota Zameremeta (the Twinkling Stars).
Of course, they went through all the ups
and downs of an independent band,
but achieved great success, travelled
and performed internationally and they
continue to feature in Zanzibar's cultural
scene up to today.
MOHAMED ILYAS & NYOTA
ZAMEREMETA (Zanzibar)
Sat 14, 7:05pm Old Fort
Tue 17, 6:30pm Serena - Terrace bar
taarab / traditional / pop
Mohamed Ilyas embodies the culture
and history of the Zanzibar islands unlike
few other musicians of his generation.
He comes from the great tradition of
Taarab singers who took the Arabic origin
of the art form and transformed it to
a uniquely Zanzibar experience. He is
firmly grounded in this tradition with a
special affinity for European influenced
melodies.
Referring to Frank Sinatra, Nat King
Cole and Julio Iglesias as influential
musicians in his life after Mohamed
Abdul Wahab and Oum Kalthoum, he
croons in the tradition of the best of
them.
Mohamed Ilyas began his musical career
with the ney (Arabic bamboo flute) and
has been a lead singer with Zanzibar's
oldest Taarab club Nadi Ikhwan Safaa
for many years. He composed his first
30 Sauti za Busara 2009
Mohamed Ilyas' voice conjures up a
multitude of images – a sunset on the
glittering Indian Ocean; the knife in the
heart of the lover; love and passion
wandering, seeking and finding; betrayed
secrets; fading memories, the smell of
cloves and frangipani as well as frying
fish or dust on a hot afternoon.
“The arrangements, vocals and
compositions are a joy from beginning
to end for lovers of old-style Congolese
music.” (DJ John Armstrong).
Msondo Ngoma Music Band has been
around since 1964, though Maalim
Gurumo, is the only original member left.
Being the oldest surviving band in East
and Central Africa, Msondo Ngoma still
offers the best of muziki wa dansi (East
African rumba), pulling the crowds and
topping the charts with their fast-selling
albums.
Msondo Ngoma sing in Swahili language.
Each song narrates the personal
Recordings:
Best Of Msondo Ngoma: The True Living
Legends Of East Africa (2006)
(and many more)
MUTINDA (Kenya)
Sun 15, 5:10pm Old Fort
afrobeat / acoustic / fusion
Mutinda's music is a journey through
time and space.
Mohamed Ilyas launches his new CD
at Sauti za Busara 2009, where he we
will be joined on stage by Zanzibar's
legendary and most famous icon, Bi
Kidude.
Recordings:
Taarab (2009)
MSONDO NGOMA BAND (Tanzania)
Thu 12, 11:50pm Old Fort
band / rumba / muziki wa dansi
This is Tanzania's equivalent of Congo's
TPOK Jazz (a rumba band from the
1950s) or Zaiko Langa Langa (one of
the most popular, longest-standing
bands in Congo, founded in the early
1970s, masters of the rumba lingala). As
OTTU Jazz, and in various other guises,
...bringing people together 31
Marrying African traditional
instrumentation such as nyatiti, maboomboom drums, djembe, African flute
with global elements as guitar, bass,
keyboard, sax, violin and drums, he has
created a unique style of soul-searching
melodies and contagious rhythms.
Although Mutinda's music is unique, he
still has found inspiration in other artists
like Diogal, Lokua Kanza, Wasis Diop,
Kaïsa, Seal, and Tracy Chapman. One of
the most powerful aspects of Mutinda's
music is the live performance. His strong
character shines through a humble
smile, and his voice harmonises with the
particular ambience of every audience.
On his new album Matopeni most
instruments are recorded live, capturing
the spirit of the musicians. Besides his
vocal powers, the guitar is the fortitude
of his music.
Singing mostly in Swahili, English, and
Kikamba (his mother tongue), he talks
about the things life presents. Growing
up in a typical Kenyan rural setting and
later living in Eastleigh (one of Nairobi's
toughest neighbourhoods) has made it
natural for Mutinda to interact easily with
all kinds of people.
Through music he encourages people
to know life to be more than their
environment and that it is possible to
find grace and humbleness even in the
midst of the toughest life conditions.
“Music is that which takes you to a place
where only uncertainty prevails... yet
anchoring you here.” (Mutinda)
www.myspace.com/mutindamusic
Recordings:
Matopeni (2008)
with thanks to Alliance
Française de Nairobi
32 Sauti za Busara 2009
NATACHA ATLAS (Egypt / UK)
Sat 14, 10:10pm Old Fort
arabic / pop / crossover / electric
Musically and geographically, Natacha
Atlas has always been an itinerant.
The Anglo-Egyptian singer has spent
more than a decade fusing electronic
beats with North African and Arabic
music, finding links between seemingly
disparate musical genres, exploring
new and different sonic settings and
working with a wealth of like-minded
collaborators from across the world
along the way.
The resulting body of work is both
a triumph of true multiculturalism
and a testament to the richness and
accessibility of Arabic culture. It is,
indeed, an oeuvre unlike any other.
Presiding over it all, of course, is Atlas's
extraordinary voice. Meltingly sensuous
and gloriously passionate, delicate with
melisma and microtones, it bridges
Middle Eastern and Western styles with
instinctive ease.
Atlas was born in Belgium and grew
up in a Moroccan suburb of Brussels,
becoming (semi) fluent in French, Arabic,
Spanish and English, and studying
singing and the belly-dancing techniques
she uses to dramatic effect today.
Her father's large LP collection
ranged from Middle Eastern sounds
to occidental classical (“My mum was
more into Led Zeppelin”). The house
she shared with her brother and sister
swayed to the unmistakeable voices
of Egyptian diva Oum Kalsoum, the
Lebanese tenor Wadi El Safi and
Lebanon's beloved Fairuz, the latter
interpreting material written for her by
the Rahbani Brothers. “I just loved the
Fairuz-Rahbani style of music because it
was a fusion. The Rahbanis had studied
both Western and Arabic music and were
fusing them way before I was born. It just
made sense to me.”
...bringing people together 33
Aged 16 she moved with her mother to
Northampton for two years – becoming
the city's first Arabic rock star – then
started travelling to countries including
Greece, Turkey and across the Middle
East. For a while she shuttled between
the UK and Brussels, singing in a range
of Arabic and Turkish nightclubs and
even a Belgian salsa band.
In 1991 she guested with two very
different artists – Balearic beat crew
and the now mythic Jah Wobble, who
was assembling his new band, Invaders
of the Heart - that would cement her
reputation. Timbal by, a track on a
Nation Records compilation, became
a massive club hit, Wobble's album
Rising Above Bedlam - five tracks which
Natacha co-wrote – got a Mercury Music
Prize nomination. The progressive Nation
Label introduced her to TransGlobal
Underground (TGU), the London-based
multicultural collective who signed
her up as lead singer then, in tandem,
pushed her to embark on a solo career.
TGU's Tim Whelan, Hamid Mantu and
Nick Page (aka Count Dubulah) were
key in co-creating Atlas's 1995 debut,
Diaspora. Combining TGU's dubby, beatsdriven dance hybrid with traditional
Arabic fair, its songs of love and loss
signalled the arrival of a major new
talent. Halim followed in 1997 and her
breakthrough disc, Gedida, in 1999,
features an Arabic-style version of Mon
Amie La Rose (the song made famous
by French icon Francoise Hardy) that
hit the Top Ten in France and won her
Best Female Singer at the Victoire de
la Musique awards. Her fourth album,
2001's Ayeshteni, boasted a belting
rendition of Screaming Jay Hawkins' I
Put A Spell On You that remains a live
favourite. There have been other English
language covers – James Brown's It's A
(Man's Man's) Man's World and a Nina
Simone cover, Black Is the Colour, along
with a couple of James Bond themes.
Determined to push herself in new
and different directions, in 2002 Atlas
released the shimmering, ambient
Foretold in the Language of Dreams with
the composer Marc Eagleton and qanun
master Abdullah Chadeh. “I don't like to
be constricted or told what to do. And
anyway, you can't keep doing the same
old thing.” She changed direction again
with 2003's urgent, upbeat Something
Dangerous – an album that embraced
everything from rap, drum ‘n’ bass
and dance music to R‘n’B, Hindi pop
and French chanson. 2006's rumbling,
rootsy Mish Maoul delved deeply into
her Egyptian roots. After the remarkable
Ana Hina – “which shows the Western
public that actually, Arabic composers
have been fusing music, East and West,
a lot longer than I have” – will come
another, as yet-untitled electric album
(which sees her singing in Arabic, English
French, Hindi, Spanish) in cahoots with
TGU and Birmingham-Bollywood outfit
Flavasia. There'll be a Latin-tinged album
with Marc Eagleton and Congolese
singer-songwriter Lokua Kanza and
further down the track, a contemporaryclassical album with Jocelyn Pook. “I love
that contemporary-classical area”, says
Atlas, a long time fan of Debussy, Satie
and in particular, Rimsky Korsakov's
Shehezerade. “It's something I've always
been drawn to. But then I love my stompy
dance music too. Arabic music is such a
flexible genre. It really lets me do what I
want.”
www.myspace.com/natachaatlasofficial
Recordings:
Diaspora (1995), Halim (1997), Gedida
(1999) The Remix Collection (2000),
Ayeshteni (2001), Foretold in the
Language of Dreams (2002), Something
Dangerous (2003), Mish Maoul (2006),
Ana Hina (2008)
with thanks to
British Council
Festival Timetable - Main Venue - February 2009
Thursday 12
Friday 13
Saturday 14
Sunday 15
Carnival Parade
4:15pm
Safar (Zanzibar)
4:15pm
Kiumbizi (Pemba)
4:15pm
Zimamoto (Zanzibar)
4:55pm
Swahili Encounters
Group (Various)
5:10pm
Best of WaPi
5:10pm
Mutinda (Kenya)
6:00pm
Parade arrives at Old
Fort
Kiumbizi (Pemba)
5:50pm
Omega Bugembe
Okello (Uganda / USA)
6:00pm
Elemotho (Namibia)
7:05pm
Culture Musical Club
7:05pm
Sansa Troupe
7:05pm
Rachel Magoola
4:00pm
- through Zanzibar Town
see page 11
5:10pm
(Zanzibar)
Jang'ombe Nursery
School (Zanzibar)
8:35pm Tarbia (Zanzibar)
8:15pm
9:00pm
Khethi with Kibo
Sounds (South Africa /
Tanzania)
10:40pm
(Uganda)
8:15pm
9:15pm
10:10pm
8:15pm
Oudaden (Morocco)
9:05pm
TY (UK)
Msondo Ngoma Band
(Tanzania)
Mohamed Ilyas &
Nyota Zameremeta
(Uganda)
(Zanzibar) featuring
Carola Kinasha &
Shada (Tanzania)
Bi Kidude (Zanzibar)
Iddi Achien'g (Kenya)
8:15pm
Nawal
9:15pm
(Comoros / France)
10:10pm
Natacha Atlas
10:10pm
11:15pm
11:05pm
Joh Makini (Tanzania)
11:25pm
Katapila 'Sangula'
Ngoma (Tanzania)
midnight
Jagwa Music
12:20am
TY (UK)
(Tanzania)
1:05am
The Moreira Project
(South Africa)
(Egypt / UK)
Segere Original
(Tanzania)
11:50pm
7:05pm
Nawal
(Comoros / France)
9:45pm
(Pan Africa)
Comrade Fatso
and Chabvondoka
(Zimbabwe)
Wahapahapa Band
(Tanzania)
Samba Mapangala &
Orchestre Virunga
(DRC / Kenya)
Mamillion
(South Africa)
36 Sauti za Busara 2009
There will be a break of 15 minutes each evening, just after sunset and at around 8pm during Muslim prayers.
...bringing people together 37
Busara Xtra Timetable
weekdays
Thu 12
10:00am Zanzibar Women's Henna Art
6:30pm Culture Musical Club
7:00pm Book Slam
9:00pm Modern Taarab
Fri 13
Zanzibar, during festival week, is the
only place to be. It’s not just Busara
Promotions (organisers of Sauti za
Busara) who are putting on a show. All
around town, in fact all around the island,
there are other events, activities and
entertainment just waiting for you.
Obviously there’ll be quite a few chances
to hear other music performances in
various clubs, restaurants and hotels.
Also worth catching is a Taarab club
rehearsal from one of Zanzibar’s top
taarab orchestras.
FILM FILM FILM FILM
Still very much on a musical theme, we are supplementing our live music
programme this year with some video screenings. These will be in the
amphitheatre part of the Old Fort venue - as detailed below:
Thu 12 7:00pm Music videos of local and festival artists
8:15pm Sauti za Busara Festival Clips - The First Five Years
(101 mins)
Fri 13 7:00pm Music videos of local and festival artists
8:15pm African Underground: Democracy in Dakar (Nomadic Wax)
9:30pm Concert video from Senegal [see noticeboards]
Sat 14 7:00pm Music videos of local and festival artists
8:15pm As Old As My Tongue - The Myth & Life of Bi Kidude
(ScreenStation-Busara) (66mins)
9:30pm Shanda - The Story of Oliver Mtukudzi (70mins)
Sun 15 7:00pm Music videos of local and festival artists
8:15pm Music biography from Nigeria [see noticeboards]
9:30pm Amandla (South Africa)
38 Sauti za Busara 2009
ZAYAA Gallery, Hurumzi
Serena Terrace bar
Mercury's Restaurant
Kwaraju Kilimani
4:30pm Musical sandbanks
6:30pm Mohamed Ilyas & Nyota Zameremeta
(Zanzibar)
7:00pm Bashraaf (Zanzibar)
Ngoma drums and dances
7:30pm Mzee Kheri (Drummer)
Matona & G-Clef (Zanzibar)
9:00pm Modern Taarab
Nadi Ikwan Safaa (Malindi Taarab)
performance
Sat 14 11:00am Taarab, Kidumbak, Ngoma... Zanzibar
Music styles
2:00pm Open Mic Session
4:30pm Musical sandbanks
7:00pm Beach´n Drums - Beach BBQ + Bonfire
Kidumbak music
Live Band with Hakuna Matata..
7:30pm Matona & G-Clef (Zanzibar)
8:00pm Abek Jazz Band + Seka Sounds
9:00pm Reggae Night
Mzungu Kichaa (Denmark)
Modern Taarab
Spice Modern Taarab
Gallery Tours
Serena Terrace bar
Mercury’s Restaurant
Tower Top 236 Hurumzi
Monsoon, Forodhani
Beyt al Chai, Shangani
Kwaraju Kilimani
NIS Clubhouse, Kokoni
DCMA open house
DCMA open house
Gallery Tours
Hakuna Matata
Tower Top 236 Hurumzi
Mercury’s Restaurant
Monsoon, Forodhani
Serena restaurants
Starehe Club, Shangani
Livingstones
Kwaraju Kilimani
Haille Selassie School
Sun 15 11:00am Traditional Drumming
2:00pm Traditional Dance
4:30pm Musical sandbanks
6:30pm Culture Musical Club
7:00pm Kidumbak..Culture
Taarab musicians
9:00pm Africa Night Party Bonanza
DCMA open house
DCMA open house
Gallery Tours
Serena Terrace bar
Mercury's Restaurant
Tower Top 236 Hurumzi
Starehe Club, Shangani
Mon 16 10:00am Hip Hop & Kidumbak?
Reggae & Taarab? 1/2
8:00pm Big Five + Seka Sounds
Culture Musical Club rehearsal
9:00pm Nadi Ikwan Safaa (Malindi Taarab)
rehearsal
Tue 17 10:00am Hip Hop & Kidumbak?
Reggae & Taarab? 2/2
DCMA workshop
Serena restaurants
CMC Clubhouse, Vuga
NIS Clubhouse, Kokoni
DCMA workshop
...bringing people together 39
Festival Finalé Party
Tuesday 17 February 2009, from 4pm til very very late.
stival 20
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Sauti za Busara - Sounds of Wisdom
Music Fe
Let’
After four nights at the Old Fort in Stone Town the festival decamps
to Kendwa beach on Zanzibar’s beautiful north coast for a special
grand finalé celebration featuring local traditional drumming and
dancing, plus top DJs playing some of the finest dance music from
around the world.
Gorge yourself on delicious Swahili cuisine, dodge acrobats and fireeaters, and then dance the night away on one of the most beautiful
beaches in East Africa.
Everyone is welcome. Admission is by 3000/- drinks coupon.
Contact us at
T 024 2236734 or 0774 411128
E [email protected]
I www.zg-design.net
40 Sauti za Busara 2009
4:15pm
6:00pm
8:00pm
8:50pm
9:30pm
11:00pm
1:00am
DJ Side
DJ Yusuf
Zinduka Ngoma
Sarakasi Acrobats
Guest DJ
DJ Yusuf
DJ Side
Details about how to get there and where to stay from Busara stall (inside Old Fort).
The Festival Party sponsor 2009 is Kendwa Rocks. For booking accommodation
contact [email protected] or +255 774 415 475 or +255 777 415 475.
NAWAL (Comoros / France)
Thu 12, 9:00pm Old Fort
Sat 14, 9:05pm Old Fort
acoustic / roots / fusion / spiritual
Born in the Comoros islands into a family
with many musicians, Nawal bathed in
both popular and spiritual music from a
young age, in her native islands and also
in her new home in France.
Between traditional and contemporary,
Nawal's music weaves a rich dialogue
of cultures, a reflection of the diverse
character of life in the Comoros. IndoArabian-Persian music meets Bantu
polyphonies, the syncopated rhythms
and Sufi trance of the Indian Ocean.
Nawal sings in Comoran languages,
Arabic, Swahili, French and English.
An acoustic roots-based fusion, her
music is rhythmically compelling and
beautifully lyrical. Known as the “Voice
of Comoros”, Nawal is also the first
Comoran woman singer-songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist to give
performances in public. As a Muslimborn African woman who does not
always adhere to traditional socioreligious codes, Nawal has faced many
challenges in her career, yet she remains
strong in her message and philosophy.
Descending from the grand Sufi
marabout of Comoros, El-Maarouf (18521904), Nawal invariably stays with the
light of Islam founded upon love, respect
and peace. In her music, she sings in
favour of humanity, for education and for
unity.
gambusi (Comoran banjo-like instrument,
cousin to the oud), the dof (Iranian frame
drum) and guitar, among others.
“Downright gorgeous music; a record
that's going to become a long-term
favourite.” Aman CD Review, Ian
Anderson, fROOTS, Oct 2007
“One of the most notable world music
CDs released over the last year.” Jon
Pareles, New York Times, June 2007
www.nawali.com
Recordings:
Kweli (2001), Aman (2007)
with thanks to UNESCO
OMEGA BUGEMBE OKELLO
Nawal has gained international praise
as a self-produced artist with her
powerful voice and socially progressive
commentary. Nawal has performed
professionally for 20 years, and as a
multi-instrumentalist she plays the
42 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 43
(Uganda / USA)
Fri 13, 5:50pm Old Fort
jazz / pop / gospel
Omega Bugembe Okello is blessed with
a powerful vocal range and the ability
of singing in various languages. She
hails from Uganda, having a voice that
touches the soul. Her latest album,
Kiwomera Emmeeme, embodies this
very essence Omega draws from her
African, in particular Ugandan, roots to
bless her listeners with a rich worldly
flavour. Musically, she is old school
in a new school kind of way, using
her music as a medium of healing,
loving, education, empowerment and
celebration.
Omega began her musical life at
the tender age of four, when she
was enrolled into the internationally
acclaimed African Children's Choir.
She toured the world with the choir,
and it was from this experience that
she blossomed into the singer she is
today. Upon her return, Omega spent
the next several years growing up in
an orphanage, which her mother, who
raised over 100 orphans, opened in
Uganda. Surrounded by the suffering that
characterised her country for the next
10 years of her life, Omega's experience
in the orphanage became one of the
strongest foundations of her work ethic
and continues to motivate her to give
back to her society through her music.
Omega is talented and blessed with
determination and musical skills, but
it was not until 2006 that she decided
to follow her dream of being a full-time
singer. Balancing her education between
Uganda and the USA, she finally earned
a Masters Degree in Health Advocacy in
New York.
the songs on the album are in her native
tongue, Luganda, except for one that
is in Swahili. Omega incorporated the
help of several people, including awardwinning Ugandan songwriter Sylver
Kyagulanyi to write the song Gunyuma
(“Love is a Wonderful Thing”).
This songstress is an African musician
on a mission to defy the negative
stereotypes of Africa through her
music. With her husband supporting
her, Omega is on a quest to show the
world the talented, happy, wealthy,
musical Africa they are rarely exposed
to. Her album, which is a reflection of
her travels, flawlessly merges several
cultures with tinges of jazz, blues, R‘n’B,
neo soul, gospel, contemporary and
pop, blending with traditional African
melodies. The instruments are a rich
cultural assortment - fretless bass
guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars,
percussion, drums, keys, traditional tube
fiddle and African xylophones.
www.omegaworldmusic.com
Recordings:
Kiwomera Emmeeme (2008)
OUDADEN (Morocco)
Fri 13, 9:15pm Old Fort
band / north africa / roots / crossover
Oudaden, one of Morocco's mythical
groups of the last twenty years, draws
its inspiration from traditional Amazigh
music. The group is passionately devoted
Omega's latest album Kiwomera
Emmeeme, (“It Is Sweet To The Soul”)
is an explosion of ethnic and western
sounds. The album includes 10 songs;
eight of which she wrote. All but one of
44 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 45
to its roots, which they update into a
lively music that enjoys the support of
North African audiences since its early
days, while more and more international
spectators rapidly become enthusiastic.
Their music is an innovative mix of
typical bendir and nakus sounds; they
combine traditional Amazigh (Berber)
instruments with modern ones including
banjo, electric guitar and tam-tam.
In their universal lyrics they explore
the subtleties of love as well as the
economic and social difficulties of their
region, being the spokespersons of the
Amazigh culture.
After several successful tours in the
United States and in Europe, especially
on the stages of Bercy and the Zenith in
Paris, and 14 albums contributing to the
revival of Amazigh songs, the group has
gained recognition of both media and
world music professionals.
www.myspace.com/oudaden
Recordings:
Tafokt Ortbadlt, Intlk Ayadil Ifr and many
more
with thanks to
CULTURESFRANCE
RACHEL MAGOOLA (Uganda)
Sun 15, 7:05pm Old Fort
roots / pop / fusion
Rachel Magoola, born of music teacher
parents, started singing at an early age.
She joined the school choir aged seven
and sang throughout her youth both
at school and her local church. Rachel
trained as a music teacher and taught
for eleven years at Namasagali College,
a secondary school and Kaliro Primary
Teacher Training College. Her college
choir represented the region several
times at national music competitions in
46 Sauti za Busara 2009
Uganda.
Rachel Magoola performed with
Uganda's top group, the Afrigo Band,
from 1989 to 2001. She is now a
successful artist in her own right, having
produced four solo albums. The song
Obangaina from her first album Inhaife
was arguably the biggest hit in the
history of Ugandan popular music. It
remained number one on Capital Radio's
“Hot 7 at 7” for 30 consecutive days, a
record yet to be beaten. The videos
of Inhaife and Vooto were extensively
played on Uganda TV, WBS and other
TV stations. Rachel has hosted several
radio shows in Uganda including
Kampala's Top Twenty and The Morning
Crew shows on Capital Radio, as well as
being a guest on its Desert Island Discs
programme and BBC's Focus on Africa.
In a poll for Ugandan newspaper New
Vision, Rachel Magoola was voted one
of the 100 most influential women.
One of her English-language hits is the
song Take Me As I Am, written for the
Sickle Cell Association of Uganda (SAU).
...bringing people together 47
SAMBA MAPANGALA &
ORCHESTRE VIRUNGA
(DRC / Kenya)
Sun 15, 11:15pm Old Fort
rumba / soukous / muziki wa dansi
Samba Mapangala was born in Matadi,
in the region known as Bas-Congo. In
the early 1970s he moved to Kinshasha
for secondary education. His vocal
talents were recognised early and he
It raises awareness about sickle cell
anaemia and is a heartfelt plea to stop
discrimination against those who suffer
from the disease. Meanwhile Bakulimba,
was selected for the CD Flavours of
Sound, compiled by the Commonwealth
Secretariat for its warning messages
about underage relationships and
related risks. I Am Not A Toy was written
for the girl education movement. Under
the Sand is Rachel's latest contribution
towards creating awareness about HIVAIDS and is a call for behaviour change
among the youth.
Songs from the Source of the Nile is an
internationally available compilation of
songs from her four albums, released on
ARC Music.
www.rachelmagoola.com
Recordings:
Inhaife (1997), Tyenda Wundi (1998),
Tonyiiga (2000), Atwibembe (2001),
Songs from the Source of the Nile (2006)
worked in various Kinshasa bands
like Bariza, Super Tukina, Super Bella
Bella, and Saka Saka. Samba travelled
to East Africa with other musicians
in 1975. In Kampala, Uganda in 1976,
they made their mark as Les Kinois
(The Kinshasans). With Samba as lead
singer, Les Kinois relocated to Nairobi
in 1977 and took the music scene by
storm. Samba formed his own band, the
legendary Orchestra Virunga, in 1981.
SAFAR (Zanzibar)
Fri 13, 4:15pm Old Fort
afro-arabic / fusion
Safar take their name from an Arabic
word which translates as a journey. This
reflects the group's diversity of musical
styles found in the context of the Dhow
Countries; Afrobeat, ngoma, taarab and
Arabic music are blended in a special
experience without dominating one
another.
The musicians are open-minded and
accept influences from East or West for
the sake of pure art. They are also all
teachers at Zanzibar's Dhow Countries
Music Academy.
Read more about DCMA on page 63.
www.zanzibarmusic.org
with thanks to DCMA
with thanks to
AIR UGANDA
48 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 49
Virunga, named after a volcanic
mountain range in central Africa, proved
to be one of East Africa's most popular
groups. Their music is an innovative
mix of the best rumba and soukous
from Congo, with the earthier Kenyan
style. Samba composes and sings in
both Lingala and Swahili. His astounding
voice has been described as melting in
the ears. His band Orchestra Virunga
also receives high praise: “The telepathy
that runs between the bass, drums and
rhythmic guitar players of this outfit is
jaw-dropping.” (Ian Anderson, fROOTS).
Orchestra Virunga played 23 concerts
around UK in 1991, causing a terrific
buzz. More recently Samba Mapangala
has settled with his family in Washington
DC, in USA. In 2000 Samba's presence
at the Kenyan Jamhuri celebrations in
London was one of the major highlights.
His last time to perform in Tanzania was
during May 2004, so the people of East
Africa are anticipating his performance
at Sauti za Busara with great excitement.
SANSA TROUPE (Uganda)
Fri 13, 7:05pm Old Fort
traditional / ngoma
Sansa Troupe is a cultural organisation
based in Kampala, comprised of youths
of school-going age who are talented in
the performing arts. In Uganda, sansa is
the name given to a thumb piano (limba
in Tanzania; mbira in Zimbabwe) - one of
the traditional instruments that is used
across most of Africa.
Sansa's motto is “Culture is Life”. Due
to war and AIDS, Uganda has a high
number of orphans and school drop outs.
Many of these become street children,
beggars, and pickpockets. Sansa
addresses the natural talents of many of
these kids, who are encouraged instead
to attain formal education.
Sansa's main aims are to eradicate
ignorance through the performing arts; to
revive morality and ethical living among
the youth; to develop, promote and use
their artistic talents for employment
Samba Mapangala's music is timeless,
sounding as fresh after the 100th
hearing it as it did the first. His lyrics
usually containing advice or social
commentary are poignant, the melodies
delightful, energetic and exuberant. In
short, Samba Mapangala is one of East
Africa's best-loved musicians, with a
series of hits over the past 25 years,
including Virunga, Ahmed Sabit, Vunja
Mifupa, Sungura, Vidonge, Dunia Tuna
Pita, Nyama Choma and many more.
www.myspace.com/sambamapangala
Recordings:
Virunga Volcano (1982), Evasion (1983),
Feet on Fire (1991), Karibu Kenya
(1995), Vunja Mifupa (1997), Ujumbe
(2001), Virunga Roots Volume 1 (2005),
Song and Dance (2006), African Classics
(2008), Obama Ubarikiwe (2008)
50 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 51
and income generation. Their main
activities include performing at festivals
and cultural events, making traditional
instruments and designing costumes,
composing, writing and teaching plays,
songs, poetry and dance.
This is Sansa Troupe's first visit to
Zanzibar. Until now, they have performed
throughout Uganda, as well as venues
in Kigali, Rwanda and Nairobi, Kenya.
Last year they even performed for Queen
Elizabeth during her visit to one of
Uganda's primary schools. The troupe
consists of around twenty youth on stage
and promises to bring a varied and
spectacular show.
SEGERE ORIGINAL (Tanzania)
Thu 12, 10:40pm Old Fort
vanga / roots / fusion / traditional /
electric / coastal
This group started in 1985 as Young
Stars Modern Taarab and split in 2003
after which Segere Original was formed.
Playing a mix of Zaramo traditional
music, taarab and modern music the
group has become extremely popular all
over Tanzania and the islands and has
also been an inspiration to other groups
incorporating local elements in their
music.
Segere was founded by 12 young people
as a self-employment, entertainment
and cultural tool. The group has so far
released two singles, Domo la Upawa
and Kiyugi and both are frequently
played on local and national radio in
Tanzania. Segere Original performs
regularly at wedding ceremonies as well
as different clubs and venues. Expect
nothing short of an orgy or a riot on the
dancefloor.
SWAHILI ENCOUNTERS GROUP
(Various)
Fri 13, 4:55pm Old Fort
crossover / fusion
Throughout the year, and particularly
during the week before Sauti za Busara
music festival, Busara Promotions works
in collaboration with Zanzibar's Dhow
Countries Music Academy (DCMA) to
provide an opportunity for musicians of
different backgrounds to come together,
learn from each other and create new
musical fusions. Some of the resulting
compositions are performed on stage
under the title of Swahili Encounters.
Over the past five years, Swahili
Encounters music fusion workshops
have played an important role in
giving diverse artists a forum to meet,
exchange and learn from each other, as
well as forge new directions in artistic
collaboration.
Participants for Swahili Encounters
2009 include Nawal and Boini Riziki
(Comoros), TY (UK), Khethi (South Africa),
Safar (Zanzibar) as well as teachers
from Zanzibar's Dhow Countries Music
Academy.
52 Sauti za Busara 2009
The main focus of this meeting is to
work together in creating two new
compositions (or new interpretations
of traditional Swahili songs), which
are performed on the main stage of
the festival. The end result is not as
important as the process. Participants
from around East Africa rarely have such
opportunities to meet and learn from
one another. In fact, most musicians who
have participated in previous Swahili
Encounters report this as their personal
highlight of the whole festival experience.
TARBIA (Zanzibar)
Thu 12, 8:35pm Old Fort
traditional / religious / spiritual / qasida
Tarbia group was founded in Zanzibar
in 1985. They are based at a local
madrasa (Islamic school) where they
practise qasida (Islamic praise music)
using dufu (hand-held frame drum) and
“There, the music blended and grooved,
dancers felt moved to do spontaneous
improvisations, drummers went flying in
search of new rhythms and the singers
explored new harmonies and sounds
together. There were a few of those
really magical moments, when different
musicians find that common place where
it clicks and everything works in harmony
to produce a truly exciting new sound.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk
...bringing people together 53
other drums. They are highly respected
among the island's Muslim community
for their singing and melodies. The group
performs at religious as well as state
functions. Recently, the group recorded
a highly-moving track in collaboration
with Rajab Suleiman, the qanun player of
Culture Musical Club. This is the group's
first time to perform on stage at an
international festival.
THE MOREIRA PROJECT
(South Africa)
Sun 15, 8:15pm Old Fort
jazz
Moreira Chonguica is a celebrated Cape
Town based musician, originally from
Mozambique.
Moreira located to Cape Town to further
his music studies where he graduated
from the University of Cape Town's South
African College of Music with a degree in
jazz performance and an honours degree
in Ethnomusicology in 2000. Since
his move to Cape Town, Moreira has
established an impressive list of credits
to his name.
Moreira's debut album, Volume 1 - The
Journey was released in December
2005 and has been received with
overwhelming response from local and
international media.
The album focuses on contemporary
African fusion jazz and was recorded by
Moreira's own independent recording
label, More Star Entertainment.
Produced by Mark Fransman and
Moreira, the album has created a new
awakening in jazz lovers as well as
capturing a niche for the “fresh ear”.
Not only is Moreira a consummate
performer, but he is also strongly
involved in the promotion of education.
When the album was launched in his
home town of Maputo, he donated
R10,000 to start a campaign to renovate
the Escola Nacional de Musical (National
School of Music), the school which he
attended as a youth. Whenever he goes
back to Maputo, he makes sure to spend
some time at the school conducting
workshops. In Cape Town, Moreira is
involved with a community school in
Kensington called Xulon Musictech run
by Camillo Lombard and Ezra Delport.
Here he teaches saxophone and life
skills to young aspiring musicians on a
regular basis.
www.moreiramusic.com
Recordings:
Vol 1 - The Journey (2005),
Vol 2 - Citizen of the World (2008)
with thanks to
CULTURESFRANCE
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TY (UK)
Fri 13, 10:10pm Old Fort
Sat 14, 12:20am Old Fort
hiphop / floetry / band / urban
TY is one of the UK's true innovators in
black music. He has been making music
and pushing boundaries for more than
ten years. With three albums, a Mercury
Music Prize nomination and countless
guest appearances with the likes of Tony
Allen, De La Soul, Damon Albarn, Terri
Walker, Scratch Perverts, Afro Reggae
and Estelle, he is most definitely a
legend in the making.
TY has long been involved in the spoken
word-poetry scene, as well as running
workshops in schools since his pivotal
involvement in the mid-90s Ghetto
Grammar organisation. More recently
performing and hosting Book Slam in
West London. Probably best known for
his live shows, TY has toured everywhere
from New York to New Zealand,
establishing a strong fan base wherever
he goes.
TY is a self-confessed myspace junkie
with a quarter of a million hits and over
30,000 friends. He is a thoughtful and
politically enlightened spokesperson, a
man of the people, a producer, musician,
MC and poet with a killer sense of
humour.
“He makes mainstream American hiphop
sound as formulaic and vacuous as it
really is.” The Times, UK
“An engaging blend of articulate wordplay,
political suss and gentle humour.” The
Independent, UK
www.myspace.com/tyandupwards
Recordings:
Upwards (2003), Closer (2006)
with thanks to
British Council
56 Sauti za Busara 2009
WAHAPAHAPA BAND (Tanzania)
Sun 15, 10:10pm Old Fort
traditional / electric / band / fusion
Wahapahapa is a new band, based in
Dar es Salaam, where they formed in
February 2008.
The Wahapahapa Band is a group
of eight experienced musicians from
Tanzania who are creating a storm of
excitement with their unique blend of
home grown music inspired by traditional
Tanzanian music originating from both
island and mainland life and influences
of modern music from all over the world.
A group of seasoned session musicians
came together to create the music and
bring the band to life - and what resulted
was an extraordinary, unforgettable
sound that invokes the richness of the
language and the life experiences of the
people.
They have held several shows in Dar es
Salaam that led three of the group's
members to be invited to Bangalore,
India, for a music conference and festival
held in July 2008, with the theme “Africa
meets Asia”. Wahapahapa was the
only group from Africa. They also did
a presentation for the conference on
African rhythms.
Wahapahapa's motto is “Good music,
good life; harmony begins at home”.
...bringing people together 57
ZIMAMOTO (Zanzibar)
Sun 15, 4:15pm Old Fort
roots / traditional / ngoma
Zimamoto (Put Out The Fire!) is the
name of one of Zanzibar's most talented
traditional drum and dance (ngoma)
groups. Literally based at the town's fire
station, the group is comprised largely of
firemen and firewomen.
The group was established only a couple
of years ago but already have acquired
an enthusiastic local fan base due to the
excitement and energy they always bring
onstage.
Zimamoto perform mostly traditional
music styles from around the Zanzibar
islands as well as Tanzania mainland,
including gonga, chaso, msewe, uringe,
malivata, mpechungu, chikocha and
others. In addition, the group performs
fire eating (ah, so that's how they put the
fires out?) and acrobatics.
village on the northern tip of Unguja
island (Zanzibar). When they perform,
local people as well as international
visitors always greatly enjoy the
spectacle, and often join in.
Originally, Zinduka shows evolved out of
celebrations for the times of harvesting.
Other times, the drummers were called
to celebrate weddings, or the launching
of a newly-built dhow to sea. The music
would continue long into the night.
These days, the group is more often
called for the launching of a new tourist
hotel. People in Nungwi like to celebrate,
and these occasions provide a rare
opportunity to be with international
visitors to laugh, dance together and
share stories.
ZINDUKA NGOMA (Zanzibar)
Tue 17, 8:00pm Kendwa Rocks
ngoma / traditional / roots
Zinduka Ngoma is an original traditional
drum and dance group from Nungwi
58 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 59
It’s not only about partying. Sauti za Busara music festival attracts international
promoters, journalists and visitors to the region, boosting the local economy
and marketing Zanzibar as a leading global destination for cultural tourism. The
festival also aims to build local skills, for example providing technical training, arts
management workshops and forums for artistic and professional networking:
Technical Skills Training
9-17 February 2009, (by invitation)
Swahili Encounters music fusion
9-12 February 2009, daily
(invitation only)
During the week before the festival,
Busara Promotions works in partnership
with Zanzibar’s Dhow Countries
Music Academy (DCMA) to provide an
opportunity for musicians of different
backgrounds to come together, learn
from each other and create. The main
idea is to create new interpretations of
Swahili songs, later performed on the
main stage.
Pete Tidemann (of Linear Velocity, USA)
and Mike Murnane (of Footcandles
Lighting, USA) facilitate training in
sound engineering and stage lighting.
Combining theory and practical on-thejob training through mentoring, this
technical workshop is open to invited
participants only
from the East
African region.
Participants for Swahili Encounters 2009
include Nawal and Boini Riziki (Comoros),
TY (UK), Khethi (South Africa), Safar
(Zanzibar) and teachers from DCMA.
Networking for Professionals
12-15 February 2009, 3-4pm daily
(invitation only)
Open to promoters, artists and managers,
media professionals, donors, sponsors
and other invited guests. This space
provides an opportunity for daily press
briefings, interviews, meetings and
informal networking; kindly hosted by
Monsoon Restaurant.
60 Sauti za Busara 2009
Zanzibar craftsman photo: Peter Bennett
...bringing people together 61
DCMA is Zanzibar’s first music school,
and the only one of its kind in East Africa.
Sauti za Busara is a highlight in the
school’s calendar. It not only gives the
opportunity to present DCMA musicians
and bands – 2009 it is SAFAR - but
also to introduce the school to festival
musicians and audience.
Come and Visit: Open House
Sat 14 Feb and Sun 15 Feb
This year DCMA facilitates Swahili
Encounters (see page 61) and on Mon
16 + Tue 17 a fascinating workshop on
bringing old and new music together: Hip
Hop & Kidumbak? Reggae & Taarab?
Based in the Old Customs House on
Forodhani Waterfront, overlooking the
Indian Ocean, DCMA is a vivid place with
a special and welcoming atmosphere.
The school opened in 2002 and has
become a cultural meeting point.
Anyone interested in learning to play
an instrument or studying music can
register at minimal costs. Scholarships
are given to support talented individuals,
socially underprivileged, women and
children.
DCMA currently has about 100 students
per semester; students of all ages
and backgrounds, amateurs as well
as professional musicians. Most of our
students and teachers are from Zanzibar.
As many students do not have their own
instrument they also come to the school
to practise. Throughout opening hours,
from 9 am to 7 pm, you can hear music
coming out of every room.
The Academy focuses on teaching
traditional Zanzibar music, such as
Taarab, Kidumbak and Ngoma. But also
Western music, Afro Beat and Arabic
Makam are practiced and taught.
The blend of musical styles found in
Zanzibar today is unique and DCMA
strives to preserve and to develop this
intangible heritage through education,
vocational training and creation of job
opportunities for musicians.
Karibu DCMA!
Old Customs House
To find out more, come and see us.
During the festival weekend you’ll find
morning and afternoon sessions on
Zanzibar music styles, drumming, dance
and open mic - all good fun.
Dhow Countries Music Academy
A place where tradition is alive!
Tel: +255 777 416 529
www.zanzibarmusic.org
62 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 63
���������
compiled by DJ Yusuf
bookings: [email protected]
������
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CHIWONISO (Zimbabwe)
REBEL WOMAN
NITIN SAWHNEY (UK)
LONDON UNDERSOUND
SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80 (Nigeria)
MANY THINGS
BUSI MHLONGO (South Africa)
AFRICAN CLASSICS
ROKIA TRAORE (Mali)
TCHAMANTCHE
YOUSSOU N’DOUR (Senegal)
LE GRAND BAL A BERCY 2008
NAWAL (Comoros)
AMAN
BUIKA (Spain)
NINA DE FUEGO
ASA (Nigeria)
ASA
VARIOUS (Africa)
DESERT BLUES VOL 3
SAMBA MAPANGALA (DRC)
AFRICAN CLASSICS
NATACHA ATLAS (Egypt / UK)
ANA HINA
64 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 65
five years. It finally hit the coffee tables in
March, after a frustrating delay, and has
brought smiles of delight to many faces.
“So what do you do the rest of the year?”
we are often asked. Actually, the music
festival alone occupies our modest
staff team for most of the year; what
with selecting the best mix of artists,
generating publicity and raising funds.
But, on top of this, we do still manage to
get out occasionally.
Sponsoring others
In July we sent our Festival Press officer,
Saphia, to participate in Arts Journalism
Training workshops in Johannesburg
(South Africa) and Mbabane (Swaziland).
Publicity
we sponsored show fees for local
performing-artists in support of various
local shows.
As in previous years, we went along
to “fly the flag” and publicise Busara at
various festivals and events including BConnected, Dar (May), ZIFF (Jul), WOMAD
UK (Jul), Bagamoyo Festival (Oct), and
Makutano, Dar (Nov).
Representing Busara
In the past year, Busara attended “Babel
Med” in Marseille, “World Music Expo”
(WOMEX) in Sevilla, “Music as an agent
of change” conference in Copenhagen,
and the “World Cultural Economic Forum”
in New Orleans. It was there that Busara
Chairman Simai Mohamed gave a
presentation on “Best Practices: Cultural
Tourism” and had the honour of giving a
Busara postcard to Kevin Little.
Following the 2008 festival we were
delighted to get a good looking 10
minute report on MNet’s Studio 53
(broadcast across Africa).
Yusuf’s also pleased that the 8 min video
clip of Sauti za Busara 2008 posted on
You Tube in April, had clocked-up 3,150
views by the end of Dec.
Achievements
The film about Bi Kidude, “As Old As
My Tongue”, has picked up “Best
International Documentary” award in at
least three film festivals, and has had
numerous screenings around the world,
including the European Film Festival in
Dar es Salaam. The film has just become
available in Tanzania on DVD, so if you
have always wanted your own copy, the
wait is finally over.
The “Zanzibar Festival Classics” CD+DVD
was released about a year ago. Sales
Kevin Little and Busara Chairman Simai
Mohamed share the last Busara postcard
at the World Cultural Economic Forum, New
Orleans, Louisiana (Nov)
And then… it was February already, and
time for another music festival.
have been steady, but slow, and we are
hoping the production costs will soon
be covered so the Tanzanian artists will
start benefiting.
Another labour of love has been the
Busara Book - telling the story of our first
Festival Press officer, Saphia went
for Arts Journalism Training
in South Africa and Swaziland...
and came back with a few stories.
We also supported a local performer
(Mo H), by donating recording-studio
fees as a prize in the Zanzibar WAPI
Competition, and on other occasions
66 Sauti za Busara 2009
Rosie, ready for action, on the Busara stall at
Bagamoyo Festival 2008
...bringing people together 67
Breakfasts
Stone Town has many locals’ cafes
where you can expect to find mandazis,
chapattis and sweet tea. One of the
finest is Passing Show (Malindi).
Stone Town Café is also good for all
day breakfasts, real coffee and people
watching.
Bustle Breaks
After an hour or so in the narrow streets
of Stone Town it can be a relief to take
a break with a fresh fruit juice or coffee.
Check out Kidude restaurant (also
good for light meals) or Zanzibar Coffee
House. Amore Mio has a cheerful choice
of ice cream.
Lunches
Don’t miss the chance to have lunch
“served with dhows”. There are a number
of fine options along the waterfront from
Mercury’s, Archipelago, and the bar
menus of Zanzibar Serena Inn, and Al
Johari. Also, thoroughly recommended at
lunchtimes, the Kidude menu is served
at the 236 Hurumzi rooftop.
Sundowners
Africa House, Zanzibar Serena,
Livingstones or Mercury’s. Or catch the
rooftop ambience and panoramic views
from Chavda Hotel and 236 Hurumzi.
For a local experience you can also try
Starehe Club.
Fine Dining
If you are looking for table cloths and
shiny glasses - we recommend Zanzibar
Serena Inn, Al Johari, Beyt Al Chai, 236
Hurumzi and Mtoni Marine Restaurant.
68 Sauti za Busara 2009
Evening Meals
Every evening, between the Old Fort
and the House of Wonders you will find
a wonderful food market offering a
fabulous selection of freshly prepared
seafood. Other options include Monsoon,
Radha (Indian vegetarian), Silk Route
(Indian), Pagoda (Chinese), Marahaba
(Indian), plus the ones we mentioned for
lunches.
Dancing and Chilling
Whether you are looking to dance or to
drop, we’re pretty sure the after show
party zone of choice will be Livingstones.
Expect Swahili Encounters of the musical
kind as local and visiting musicians
exchange riffs. If dancing is what you
want then head for Dharma Lounge
(Vuga) or Komba Disco (Bwawani).
Shopping
For quality souvenirs, CDs, books, and
clothes, then the length of Kenyatta Rd
from Zawadi Chest (opp Livingstones)
to Kanga Kabisa (near Africa House)
should satisfy most needs. More crafts
and souvenirs - along with the Gallery
bookshop - in Gizenga street.
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Passes & Tickets
Admission to the main venue is free to all
before sunset.
Note: Admission to the Festival Party at
Kendwa Rocks is by purchase of a drinks
coupon for 3000/-.
Discounts are available to
Tanzanian citizens and East African
residents (ID required).
The festival is organised and operated on
a not for profit basis.
Passes
(come & go)
4 Days
1 Day
VIP
Seating Area
60,000/-
25,000/-
Festival Pass
35,000/-
15,000/-
Tickets
(single entry)
Tanzanian citizens
1,000/-
EA Residents
3,000/-
Fundraising
Because we believe it is important that
everyone can afford to come inside we
keep ticket prices low.
Each year we search for sponsors
and donors to help make this festival
possible. Approximately 40% of our
income comes from International
donors and foreign governments, and
another 40% comes from commercial
sponsorship. The remaining 20% we
raise through tickets, t-shirts, etc.
Busara Promotions
Busara Promotions is a non-profit cultural NGO registered in Zanzibar “to promote and
develop opportunities for local and international music and performing artists within
the East African region, work to strengthen the local arts infrastructure and build
networks internationally, for the social, cultural and economic growth of Africa and the
global south”.
PO Box 3635, Zanzibar, Tanzania
+255 24 223 2423
+255 784 925 499
+255 773 822 294
[email protected]
www.busaramusic.org
70 Sauti za Busara 2009
...bringing people together 71
72 Sauti za Busara 2009