Artists

Baikoko has recently become one of the most favoured night entertainments around Dar es Salaam. Baikoko groups play in roadside bars, at weddings or as an added attraction for ‘modern taarab’ nights. The young man who started this recent craze is Juma Hussein, also known as “Maya”.

Baikoko originated in the read more

Launched at Zanzibar’s Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) in 2014 and comprising of DCMA teachers and students, the Taarab - Kidumbak Group was formed to participate in a competition to tour in America. Since then, they participated in three highly acclaimed tours in the summer of 2015. The first read more

The intoxicating Taffetas sound is built around the kora (West African harp-like instrument) and the Swiss duo of Marc Liebeskind (guitar) and Christophe Erard (double bass), who also take the compositional credits. Their shows in Zanzibar will feature Cheikh "Nana" Sisokko (Guinea Bissau) on kora and Fatoumata Dembele (Burkina Faso) read more

Tamimu Mshauri Salum is a young, talented, and energetic musician from Bagamoyo, a coastal town north of Dar es Salaam, who flutters the flag of Singeli music in Tanzania.

His first song, “Sifa ya Mwanamke,” was released in 2019. Its success saw the track being played all over the media as read more

This exciting experimental collaboration, only recently established in 2011, is one of its kind, lead by talented Zanzibari musician and composer Juma Begu. The tandaa is a traditional flute, similar to the zumari. It is typically played alongside ngoma drums in the island’s umundi dance, used to purge evil read more

Tarbia group was founded in Zanzibar in 1985. They are based at a local madrasa where they practice qasida (Islamic praise music) using dufu (hand-held frame drum) and other drums. They are highly respected among the island's Muslim community for their singing and melodies. The group performs at religious as read more