main activities |
The NGO’s main event each year is the Sauti za Busara music festival. This now enjoys an international reputation as “the friendliest festival on the planet”, bringing people together in celebration of music from East Africa and beyond.
Sauti za Busara provides a platform for local musicians to experience music from other parts of the world, whilst introducing East African music to the visitors. In any society this kind of interchange is vital to the health and development of musical styles.
Sauti za Busara festival provides an example of an event designed to develop, in both locals and visitors, an appreciation of the uniqueness, wealth and diversity of music from the region. It shows there is a beauty in our traditional music, with employment and income to be gained in sustaining it.
Artistic and technical workshops and seminars have been a key element of Busara’s activity, aimed for musicians, media professionals, arts managers, technicians and cultural workers from the region. These workshops have helped to build knowledge and skills for the long-term cultural benefit of East Africa.
Busara has played an essential role in maintaining peace and stability in Zanzibar, through building intercultural understanding and respect. Furthermore, the festival brings a significant boost for the local economy. Government statistics show the number of visitors to Zanzibar in February has increased by more than 400% since 2003.
There do exist many challenges for the NGO, not least in sourcing multi-annual funding. A priority is to invest in sound, lighting and staging equipment; essential for producing a world-class festival, providing training opportunities for technicians from the East Africa region, and helping to move the NGO towards a more sustainable future. |
Achievements to Date |
2003
- Sidi Goma - African Sufis of Gujarat, East Africa tour, June-July 2003
- Zein al Abdin (Lamu/Mombasa) – Oud masterclass, Zanzibar, Sept 2003
2004
- Sauti za Busara Swahili Music Festival, 13 - 15 Feb, 2004
- Zenji Flava (Zanzibar Hiphop) Seminar, Zanzibar, May 2004
- Studio & Recording Skills Workshop for East African engineers, Zanzibar, Aug 2004
- Bi Kidude msondo group – Performances in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Sept 2004
2005
- Sauti za Busara Swahili Music Festival, 10 - 13 Feb, 2005
- Violin Masterclass for students from Lamu, Kenya at DCMA Zanzibar, Feb 2005
- Participation of DCMA Kidumbak group and Wazenji Kijiwe (Zanzibar) at B-Connected Festival, Dar es Salaam, May 2005
- Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Malindi Taarab) Centenary Celebrations, Zanzibar, July 2005
- Sinachuki Kidumbak group and East African Melody participate in Lamu Cultural Festival, Kenya, Nov 2005
- Jagwa Music showcase at WOMEX (World Music Expo), Newcastle, UK, October 2005
2006
- Sauti za Busara Swahili Music Festival, 9 - 14 Feb, 2006
- Busara Promotions co-produces for As Old As My Tongue: The myth and life of Bi Kidude docu-feature film (with ScreenStation UK), Zanzibar, 2006
- Participation of Shirikisho Sanaa Group and Bz Broo (Zanzibar) at B-Connected Festival, Dar es Salaam, May 2006
- Bi Kidude and unyago dancers perform at Festival Mundial, The Netherlands, June 2006.
- Kendwa Rocks 10th Anniversary Full Moon party ft Matona & G-Clef Taarab, Shirikisho Sanaa, Sinachuki Kidumbak with Makame Faki, Bi Kidude, D-Knob, Spider, Jambo Brothers and Busara's Routes in Rhythm Soundsystem, Zanzibar, Sept 2006.
- Busara hosts roundtable forum "Music, Festivals and Cultural Tourism" for local government, NGO, and private sector. Zanzibar, Sept 2006
- Bi Kidude with unyago dancers, and Busara's "Where the Music Takes Me" photo exhibition at The GoDown’s Sigalagala women's festival. Nairobi, Oct 2006.
- Culture Musical Club at ACP festival, Dominican Republic, Oct 2006.
- Busara presents paper "Music Festivals and Cultural Tourism" Dominican Republic, Oct 2006.
2007
- Sauti za Busara music festival, 9 - 14 Feb, 2007
- Busara sponsors Wandima Tradition (Ngoma) and Huzaman to participate at B-Connected Festival, Dar es Salaam, May 2007
- Zanzibar Festival Classics, compilation CD+DVD of favourite artists of festivals released (co-produced with Fourth World, UK), Sept 2007.
- Bi Kidude performs at Dockanema Film Festival, Maputo, Sept 2007
- Sponsor studio time for Black Roots to record. Zanzibar, Oct 2007
- Assist Zenji flava star Berry Black in album launch, Zanzibar, Oct 2007
- Busara 5 “coffee-table” book released celebrating five years of promoting East African music (co-produced with ZG Design), Zanzibar, Dec 2007
2008
- Sauti za Busara music festival, 7 - 12 Feb, 2008
- Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Party, Zanzibar, July 2008
- New roof, plumbing, electrics and house renovations for Bi Kidude, Zanzibar, July – Sept 2008
- Busara sponsors Mo H, winner of WAPI Competition with studio recording fees
- Busara sponsors “Mkongwe Hagewa” taarab show for local legends, Zanzibar, August 2008
- Busara Chairman presents Best Practices: Cultural Tourism at World Cultural Economic Forum, New Orleans, Louisiana, Oct 2008
- “East Coast Culture Festival”, Zanzibar, Nov 2008
- Busara presents “Music as an Agent of Change” at Copenhagen conference, Dec 2008
2009
- Sauti za Busara music festival, 12 - 17 Feb, 2009
- Busara Director presents at EU-ACP Colloquium, “Culture and Creativity as Vectors for Development”, Brussels, April 2009
- Busara presents to Aga Khan Development Network teachers, Zanzibar, April 2009
- Busara presents at East African Arts Summit, Mombasa, April 2009
- Busara Director elected as President of Indian Ocean Music Network, Johannesburg, May 2009
- Busara Director leads Arts Marketing Training, Dar es Salaam, May 2009
- DJ Yusuf performs at Festival Timitar, Morocco, July 2009
- Busara Director jury member for Festival Gabao, Libreville, Gabon, Aug 2009
- Busara publishes Five Year Strategic Plan, Zanzibar, Aug 2009
- Busara represents at Moshito, Johannesburg, Aug 2009
- Culture Musical Club perform at Pan African Space Station Festival, Cape Town, Sept 2009
- Busara participates in meeting for festival directors to strengthen pan-African networking in promoting urban culture, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Oct 2009
- Busara shares trade stand with Equation Musique network at WOMEX, Copenhagen, Oct 2009
- Inaugural meeting for ACP Music Festivals Network, Copenhagen, Oct 2009
- Busara represents at Kenya Music Week, Nairobi, Nov 2009
- Busara presents artists’ development workshop, DCMA Zanzibar, Dec 2009
2010
- Sauti za Busara music festival, 11 - 16 Feb, 2010
- Tausi Women’s Taarab perform at European Union Day Celebrations, Zanzibar, May 2010
- Busara represents at Mzalendo Halisi festival, Dar es Salaam, May 2010
- Busara participates at African Festival Directors Seminar, Zanzibar, July 2010
- Bi Kidude performs for local schoolchildren at British School, Zanzibar, July 2010
- Busara represents at Sakifo Festival, La Reunion, Aug 2010
- Busara with Equation Musique network represent at Moshito, Johannesburg, Sept 2010
- Busara represents at Bayimba Festival, Kampala, Sept 2010
- Zanzibar Music Symposium, Zanzibar, Sept 2010
- Busara represents at Economy of Creativity Conference Mombasa, Sept 2010
- Busara represents at WOMEX Copenhagen, Oct 2010
- Routes in Rhythm SoundSystem at Paje East Coast Festival, Zanzibar, Nov 2010
2011
- Sauti za Busara music festival, 9 - 13 Feb, 2011
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ORGANISATIONAL VALUES |
Artist Centred
Busara Promotions exists for the promotion and development of musicians and therefore all of our organisational behaviours will be undertaken in with care and concern for their primary interests. Busara will focus on all artists, those who are established and those who are yet to be discovered and developed, particularly those living in disadvantaged communities.
Respect and Understanding
Busara Promotions will place equal emphasis upon respect for local culture and tradition and the integrity of artists. Recognising that there are intrinsic tensions between these two sets of stakeholders it is part of Busara Promotions mission to build understanding and mutual respect. Busara will also respect its staff members, Trustees and volunteers and recognise their major contribution to the achievement of our mission.
Diversity and Exchange
Busara Promotions will promote diversity with respect for the context of Zanzibar society. We will also promote exchange of cultures and traditions to promote understanding, peace and a pluralistic society. We do not allow discrimination in selecting artists, recruiting staff or crew on basis of race, gender, ethnicity, politics or religion.
Regional Identity
Busara Promotions is proud of its roots in Zanzibar and the strong identity the festival has with these islands. However, Busara is committed to building regional networking among artists and a feeling of collective ownership for this regional festival.
Collaboration and Partnership
Busara Promotions wishes to collaborate with governments, corporate sector, donors, international NGOs, academia, and civil society as a whole but without compromising its independence of thought and actions.
Gender Balance
Artists are of both genders and reflect the population at large. Our governance, staffing and artist selection processes should therefore reflect gender balance and equity.
Transparency
Transparency in major decision making is critically important. When selecting artists for the final programme, when reviewing the management accounts, budgets and expenditures, when dealing with new staff recruitment, salaries and benefits; it is important to be transparent with each other and other relevant stakeholders. |
