Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) Music Festival takes place in Zanzibar, Tanzania from Thursday 12th to Tuesday 17th February 2009. There is a continuous daily programme of music from 4pm to 1am, and admission is FREE to all each day before sunset.
The festival features musical performances by more than 400 established and upcoming artists (40 groups in total) including SSamba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga (DRC / Kenya), Natacha Atlas (Egypt / UK), Msondo Ngoma Band (Tanzania), Oudaden (Morocco), Nawal (Comoros / France), Culture Musical Club (Zanzibar), Khethi with Kibo Sounds (South Africa / Tanzania), The Moreira Project (South Africa), Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka (Zimbabwe), Bi Kidude (Zanzibar), TY (UK), Carola Kinasha & Shada (Tanzania), Jagwa Music (Tanzania), Jang’ombe Nursery School (Zanzibar), Joh Makini (Tanzania), Elemotho (Namibia), Mamillion (South Africa), Segere Original (Tanzania), Katapila ‘Sangula’ Ngoma (Tanzania), Sansa Troupe (Uganda), Best of WaPi (Pan Africa), Mohamed Ilyas & Nyota Zameremeta (Zanzibar), Iddi Achien'g (Kenya), Rachel Magoola (Uganda), Wahapahapa Band (Tanzania), Omega Bugembe Okello (Uganda / USA), Mutinda (Kenya), Safar (Zanzibar), Kiumbizi (Pemba), Zinduka Ngoma (Zanzibar), Tarbia (Zanzibar), Zimamoto (Zanzibar), DJ Side (Zanzibar), DJ Yusuf (UK / Zanzibar), and more to be announced.
Sauti za Busara commences with a carnival procession through the streets of Stone Town, featuring beni brass band, drummers, clowns, stilt-walkers and acrobats.
From Thursday through until Sunday, around ten groups perform each day. The festival is centred for four days in the 'Mambo Club' at the historic Old Fort in Stone Town, the festival then moves on for two days of community shows, including 'Busara Xtra' fringe events around Zanzibar town, suburbs and rural locations.
On Tuesday 17 February, the festival leaves the town behind and heads for Kendwa Rocks, a beach location on Zanzibar's north coast. Starting from 4pm, there'll be DJs, acrobats, and live performances evolving into a fantastic Festival Finalé Party - and dancing till dawn.
Admission is FREE to everyone daily from 4pm until sunset, after that you need a ticket or pass. An All Day Pass is priced at 15,000/- Tanzanian shillings (around £7.50) and a 4 day pass is 35,000/- Tanzanian shillings (around £17). These are available from the Old Fort daily from Thursday 11th February 2009.
The festival does not have a campsite, and there is a good range of accommodation options near Stone Town.
Zanzibar has international scheduled flights, or there are international flights to Dar es Salaam. There are then internal flights or ferries from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar.
More information will be here when available.
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