Zanzibar Music Festival - Sauti za Busara

Zanzibar Music Festival - Sauti za Busara - 12-17th February 2009!

Sauti za Busara means Sounds of Wisdom and is certainly growing into a music festival worthy of such a name. Held annually in Stone Town on the romantic island of Zanzibar, Sauti za Busara or Zanzibar Music Festival is a showcase for the best and most exciting of African music. Originally focused on East African and Swahili music, the Zanzibar Music Festival now includes a range of international artists and musicians from West Africa, East Africa, Europe and more, brought together for a six-day extravaganza of world music and culture in a remarkably beautiful setting.

Sauti za Busara is based within the Old Fort in Stone Town. The Old Fort was built around 1700 by the Omani Arabs, on the site of an old Portuguese church. It was used for years as a base from which to defend Stone Town from the invading Europeans, and eventually during the 19th century bcame used as a prison and place of execution! For a few years in the early 20th century the Old Fort was used as a depot for the railway, before its importance as a historical site was recognised and it was cleared out and given the recognition it deserves. Today the Old Fort is used as a cultural centre, hosting many Tanzanian drumming or dancing classes, films, music and dance events and much more. The crumbling stone battlements and crenellated towers provide incredibly atmospheric surroundings in which to hold a music festival. The lighting illuminates the ancient walls, and the sounds of African beats reverberate within the historical arena. Sauti za Busara could not have chosen a more perfect location in which to base the Zanzibar Music Festival.

Check their website for dates and line-up details and for more information on going to dance, listen and enjoy the experience of Sauti za Busara contact us.