Artists

When 20-year-old singer Samba Mapangala boarded the riverboat for Kisangani in 1975, little did he know where it would really be taking him. The young vocalist, one of a quartet of singers in the Kinshasa dance band Saka Saka, was heading with his mates for a tour of Eastern Zaire. read more

Sansa Troupe is a cultural organisation based in Kampala, comprised of youths of school-going age who are talented in the performing arts. In Uganda, sansa is the name given to a thumb piano (limba in Tanzania; mbira in Zimbabwe) - one of the traditional instruments that is used across most read more

There are not many bands whose music has been so pervasive that a new genre has been named after them. Such is the case with Young Stars’ Segere - the 2001 hit song that lent its name to both the style and also the band.

 Segere is especially noteworthy read more

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

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

Moreira Chonguica is a celebrated jazz musician, originally from Mozambique. He [[[relocated to Cape Town to further his music studies where he ]]]graduated from the University of Cape Town's South African College of Music with a degree in Jazz Performance and an honors degree in Ethnomusicology in 2000. [[[Since his read more