Artists

KVZ Tupendane is one of the leading ngoma (traditional drums and dance) groups from Chake Chake, the administrative capital town on our sister island of Pemba. The group has been working together since 2007, with 22 musicians playing traditional styles including chaso, boso, mdungushi and msondo.

Through their captivating performances, KVZ read more

Maia & The Big Sky experiment with coastal polyrhythms, mixing these with funk, reggae, jazz and folk, creating a familiarity and warmth that transcends continents. Maia von Lekow’s lyrics in both English and Kiswahili touch on power, love, politics and the strength of women.

Maia has shared stages read more

Makadem, aka the Ohangla Man is one of Kenya’s most talented performing artists. He has successfully fused different genres of music from Kenya, Africa and the world with his native Luo benga music.

Makadem’s humorous and witty lyrics address deep socio-economic struggles in modern day Kenya. His command read more

Malick Pathé Sow comes from a large family of laawbe (like griots) and has been brought up with the music of the Peul, nomadic people from the north of Senegal. Following loyal service as one of Baaba Maal's main musicians, he embarked on a solo career after he arrived in read more

Utilising traditional rhythms and instruments, Mapacha Africa has brought forth another dimension to popular Kenyan music. The septet traces its beginnings to western Kenya in 1989 when these seven friends were in primary school. Inspired by the sounds they heard from street musicians in their small Kenyan village, Mapacha Africa read more

Perhaps she’s a Sámi artist, perhaps she's a practitioner of world music. Perhaps she makes music around the borderlines of Sámi, other folk music, jazz and rock. Perhaps she is the sum of all this. Or perhaps she is just herself. A musician, singer and artist who is making her read more