Artists

Splendid Theatre group was initiated as an idea by Ramadhani Maneno (Pendapenda) during 1997. Ramadhani's career as an artist started when he was a mere nine years old, displaying his dancing skills at various parties in his neighbourhood of Dar es Salaam. At the age of thirteen, he was selected read more

Evans 'Pfumela' Mapfumo is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Zimbabwe. His music is inspired by real events including war, poverty and child abuse, enriched with messages encouraging peace, love and unity.

His band has a vibrant stage presence, fusing traditional rhythms played on marimba and mbira with acoustic guitar and other read more

Jambo Brothers was formed in 1999 by two Zanzibar acrobats Saidi and Khamis at Kiembe Samaki area. Later the same year three more members joined the group and they became the Golden Stars Acrobatic Show. Performing mainly in bars, schools, political rallies and other social occasions the group was struggling read more

[[[The Dhow Countries Music Academy is Zanzibar's first music school and the only of its kind in East Africa. Focusing on teaching traditional music DCMA has about 100 active students from all levels, amateurs to professional musicians, visiting the academy almost daily to practice. But DCMA also reaches out bringing read more

Guinean singer and composer Djeli Moussa Diawara is foremost among world players of the kora, the African harp-lute of the Manding people of the Senegambia. Born in Guinea in 1962 into a family whose musical roots span generations, his father was a famous player of the balafon read more

Almost a century ago, Zanzibari singer Siti Binti Saad reimagined what had been formal court music into a private form of improvisation, laced with a spirit of inclusivity that combined Arabic and Swahili lyrics. In doing so, she paved the way for other female taarab singers, including Bi Kidude.

In turn, read more