Artists

Every year, during the week leading up to the festival, Sauti za Busara, in collaboration with the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA), provides a great opportunity for local and foreign artists to come together, create unique sounds, practice joint, and finally. Performing together as a complete band.

Swahili Encounters 2024 read more

TaraJazz, Zanzibar. This exciting young band of musical explorers is on a mission, improvising, sharing and responding to new sounds. At the group’s core is jazz, real, live and uncompromising. This is a unique blend that brings elements of Zanzibari taarab with its Arabic, African and Eastern influences and rhythmical read more

Thaïs Diarra is a nu-soul singer with roots in Mali and Senegal. She was born in Switzerland, to a music-loving mother and a bass-playing father. Since Thaïs’ early years, music was a refuge, a moral recourse to the racial prejudgement and questions about her mixed race identity. In her read more

The Mafik is a Tanzanian afropop band from Dar es Salaam which was established in 2018. They have already produced a string of popular hits, including Passenger, Sheba, Niwaze (ft Ruby), Dodo, Sio Mbaya ft Ben Pol, Nibebe and Bobo.

The Mafik have performed regularly across Tanzania, as read more

Hailing from Tanzania, Wakazi (born Webiro Wassira) moved to the US in pursuit of the American Dream, but his love for music steered him to a new path & purpose. In no time, the self-proclaimed "The Leader", went from freestyles & mixtapes to opening up for big acts. He's evolved read more

Ison Mistari, aka Zenji Boy is a new light in Zanzibar’s hiphop scene. His song-writing is critical and conscious, with powerful lyrics and messages that deeply resonate with his Swahili-speaking audience. Ison Mistari’s live performances are highly energetic and his lyrical skills widely feared. He has earned respect and appreciation read more