Artists

Nako 2 Nako came together in Arusha during 1999, where they are the leading exponents of a special style of hiphop particular to the town and widely respected as more "hard core". Leading group members include Dar Hustla, Lord Izzi, G-Nako and Bou-Nako. They describe their music as "street-hiphop", and read more

Kikundi cha Taifa (National Taarab Orchestra) of Zanzibar was founded many years ago, having a flexible set up but always featuring the cream of the crop of taarab musicians from the Islands.

The group is presently under the artistic direction of two of Zanzibar's taarab maestros, Mr Iddi Suwedi of Culture read more

Nfithe features eight talented young musicians from Beira in northern Mozambique. The band was started in 2002. Nfithe (meaning "The Witchdoctors") is inspired by its African traditions yet creates a new, original, modern music that invites the audience to dance.

The line up includes guitar, keyboard, vocals, drums and percussion.

The lyrics read more

Born in Kagoshima, Japan in 1974, Sakaki Mango studied the Swahili language at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, where he also began his research on the music of Tanzania. He travelled to Africa to receive direct training from the late Hukwe Ubi Zawose (then leader of the Tanzanian National read more

It was under the guidance of his uncle Solo Cissokho (see Ellika & Solo; Sauti za Busara Festival 2007) that Seckou Keita launched his international career in 1996, with appearances at Norway's Forde Festival, in a collaboration with Cuban, Indian and Scandinavian musicians.

In following years, Keita relocated to UK, while read more

Seven Survivor is one of Dar es Salaam's leading exponents playing mchiriku, a style of music that has been extremely popular around the poor areas of Dar es Salaam, Coastal and Morogoro regions for more than twenty years. This group is currently rated the second in popularity after Jagwa Music. read more