Artists

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 read more

Both Tanzanian and Maasai by tribe, Carola Kinasha was born as one of 8 children, in Longido, a remote village near the Kenyan border. Her father 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 read more

[[[Samm Farai Monro, better known as Comrade Fatso, is one of Zimbabwe's most popular and controversial poets. He performs Toyi Toyi Poetry, radical street poetry that mixes Shona with English and mbira with hip hop. It's an art form that is an uprising against the bloody ZANU (PF) regime.

If Robert read more

Founded in 1958, Culture Musical Club is Zanzibar's most prolific and successful taarab orchestra. The club performs widely at concerts in Zanzibar town, but also frequently travels overland with a fold-up stage and an electricity generator to bring its music to the rural areas. They have released hundreds of songs read more

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 read more

DJ Yusuf moved to Zanzibar in 1998 and set up Busara Promotions. Since 2004 he has been director of Sauti za Busara music festival. However, he still finds time to spin the discs at hotels, beach resorts and full moon parties around Zanzibar under the banner of Routes in Rhythm.

The read more