Artists

Founded in 1905, Nadi Ikhwan Safaa can probably trace its roots back further than any other orchestra in Africa.

At first, the group played Egyptian and Arabic music. In the early 1950s, they started composing their own songs with Swahili lyrics. Since then, Ikhwan Safaa - or ‘Malindi Taarab’, as they 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

Zanzibar's most promising Hiphop group, playing a variety of Rap, Ragga and R&B music using swahili language, like most hip hop artists their songs are about love and issues affecting daily lives of people in their society. They have participated in a number of concerts and at the 2003 Festival read more

Pungwa is a traditional Zanzibari spirit dance found in the northwest of Unguja, and this group is widely described as the most energetic performers in Zanzibar.
More than 150 years ago pungwa traditional spirit dance was established by Shaali Bambao in Bumbwini Makoba village. Shaali Bambao was lost in read more

This is a group composed of teachers and pupils of the Kilimani Madrasa (Islamic school), founded in 1997 in the Kiungani section of Zanzibar town. Qasida Swiffat Nabawiyyatul offers Holy Koran classes as well as qasida (religious music) to pupils ranging from age 4 to 30 and upwards.

Qasida is performed read more

Nassor Amour Abdallah aka Cholo Ganun the founder of Rahat Zamaan Taarab Orchestra is renowned for his exceptional talent; he is the youngest professional ganun player in East Africa. In Sweden during 2003, Cholo Ganun won Best World Musician Award; of a hundred contestants, he was one of only read more