Artists

For women, singing can be the road to personal power. When their voice is as strong as Malian vocalist Khaira Arby's, that power can move mountains, change minds, and win battles. Arby's rich, potent sound aims to do just that, shifting seamlessly between the edgy and progressive and the traditional read more

Kidumbak is among the most popular traditional music styles of Zanzibar. With its roots in the taarab traditions and heavy emphasis on the rhythmic aspect, for local people it makes the music highly infectious and danceable.

Kidumbak is often performed at Zanzibar weddings, birthdays, beach parties and other joyous read more

Before 1900, this ngoma was popular in Congo (now DRC) where it was used mainly for occasions such as marriage, traditional religious ceremonies and during other festivities. Later on it spread and became popular into other countries such as Tanzania, where in the first place it gained roots in regions 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

Started in 1998 Kyandu Music is a Dar es Salaam based group performing contemporary interpretations of traditional music. It was through the ambition of the group's chairman and tutor Seif Chambusu who wanted to use the group as a way of sending messages to wide audiences about the need to read more