Artists

Chema Culture Group was born in Pemba Island in 1992. At the time Chema group had 45 founder members who came from various small Ngoma groups from around the island. The idea of forming Chema came because the artists needed a well established group, as well as to be registered read more

[[[The Dhow Countries Music Academy is Zanzibar's first music school and the only of its kind in East Africa. Focusing on teaching traditional music DCMA has about 100 active students from all levels, amateurs to professional musicians, visiting the academy almost daily to practice. But DCMA also reaches out bringing read more

Kirumbizi is a unique kind of stick dance and one of the earliest traditional types of ngoma from Pemba island, a tradition which has been handed down from generation to generation over centuries. According to Mzee Omar Khamisi, leader of Hiyari ya Moyowo group, kirumbizi has similar origins to the read more

Established over 70 years ago, Juhudi Taarab is a Zanzibari treasure – a traditional taarab group with members hailing from all regions of Pemba. For nearly three generations, they have kept the taarab tradition alive and currently feature many celebrated artists and composers known throughout the region, such as Malik read more

The Kiumbizi group has been performing together since 1996. Featuring up to 20 men and women, they perform styles of traditional music and dance, which are unique and special to Pemba island.

Kiumbizi is a kind of stick dance-meets-martial arts and Boso, a rhythmic circle dance. These ngoma styles read more

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