ZANZIBAR: THE highly anticipated annual event Sauti za Busara kicks off today. Over 270 musicians and 25 music bands from 12 African countries will be performing on three spectacular stages located at the Old Fort, Unguja, in celebration of African music and culture. It is a three-day festival that starts today and ends on Sunday.
The festival will begin at 04:30 pm at Forodhani Stage with a performance from Sibu Manai (Reunion-Electro Malaya) and the Africulture group from Tanzania. In the evening, there will be a variety of performances on the Main Stage and Amphitheater at the Old Fort. On the Main Stage, there will be performances from Mubba – a blue jazz fusion band from Tanzania, Dogo Fara from Reunion-Electro Malaya, Selmor Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe, Siri and the Band and Shalo Mwamba.
Meanwhile, at the Amphitheatre, music fans will witness performances from Anuang’a and Maasai Vocals from Kenya, Aliddeki Brian from Uganda and Ita and Mehdy from Algeria.
This year marks the 21st edition of the festival, which has always attracted guests from all over the world for the past two decades where people come to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Africa.
By bringing together musicians and bands from across the continent, the festival provides a platform for Africans and the rest of the world to appreciate and celebrate the beauty and complexity of African music and culture. It strengthens the bonds between African countries and encourages the preservation and continuation of their cultural heritage for future generations.
During an interview, Journey Ramadhani, the festival director, stated that this year’s event would be centred around women and young talents. He expressed his hope that music lovers across the country would be blown away by the event.
“This year, our focus is on women and young talents, while also showcasing big names like Made Kuti from Nigeria, top Zimbabwean woman artist Selmor Mtukudzi, Sholo Mwamba and Zoe Modigliani, an icon of style and jazz from South Africa. “Some say it’s not only the beat but the crowd that makes our festival one of the continent’s best.”