Artists

[[[STOP PRESS +Bassekou gets great review at Festival in the Desert:

"The band and the singers are all enthusiastic, jolly performers, and Kouyate's groove gets most of the audience on their feet and chanting"

Rosie Swash, Guardian Unlimited http://music.guardian.co.uk/desert2008/story/0,,2239799,00.html

Other stories:

Segu Blue gets BBC World Music Award Album of the Year read more

Bi Kidude bint Baraka is Zanzibar's most famous cultural ambassador and East Africa's legendary barefoot diva of taarab and unyago traditional music.

Bi Kidude's exact date of birth is unknown, much of her life story is uncorroborated, giving her an almost mythical status. Kidude started out her musical career read more

Black Roots Cultural Group has been immersed in the islands' arts scene for many years. Apart from their regular drama plays broadcast on TV Zanzibar, the group is reinterpreting local traditional dances. The potent messages they convey through their music and drama reach all levels of society read more

[[[Africa 2007 is a three-year programme designed by the British Council to mark two anniversaries in Africa. Two hundred years ago the British government passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. 2007 is also fifty years since Ghana gained its independence from Britain, being the first African country to read more

The Celloman project began in 2001 with the release of Aquador. Now a six piece band, Celloman has performed extensively around the UK including most of the big festivals such as Glastonbury and Womad. They have performed in Serbia twice and done a series of gigs in Spain. Their sound read more

Founded in 1958, Culture Musical Club is Zanzibar's most prolific and successful taarab orchestra. The club performs widely at concerts in Zanzibar town, but also frequently travels overland with a fold-up stage and an electricity generator to bring its music to the rural areas. They have released hundreds of songs read more