Artists

Tarbia group was founded in Zanzibar in 1985. They are based at a local madrasa where they practice qasida (Islamic praise music) using dufu (hand-held frame drum) and other drums. They are highly respected among the island's Muslim community for their singing and melodies. The group performs at religious as read more

Tausi Women’s Taarab presents a revolution in a very traditional genre: Zanzibar’s first all-female taarab orchestra where all the instruments are played by women and accompanied by women singers.

The Tausi Taarab orchestra was formed in 2009 and presents music in the tradition of classical taarab style. Dating back read more

Christopher ‘Tofa Boy’ Antony is a young and talented student from Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) Zanzibar. Presenting an energetic cocktail of African popular music styles including bongo flava and Afro-fusion, Tofa Boy is a vibrant and upbeat artist. He composes his own songs and delivers these with passion, from read more

Utamaduni is Swahili for “culture” and the group Utamaduni JKU presents Swahili culture at its best. They are performing a rich variety of traditional dances from all over Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar Island including msewe, gonga, kyaso, uringe, pungwa, kibati, bomu, kunguwia, boso, kibunguu, ngokwa, sindimba and lizombe. Each of read more

Uwaridi Band is a talented all-women group of passionate and energetic musicians. They play many instruments, including violin, accordion, tabla, cajon, ngoma, zeze, rimba, sanduku, vidumbaki, rika and percussions.

They preserve Zanzibar’s cultural heritage and help take it forwards by fusing traditional sounds with modern arrangements. Members of the band make read more

The Students of SOS is a group of orphans based in the Hermann Gmeiner School in Zanzibar island, also known as the SOS Childrens Village. The children who lost their parents are sheltered at the school to give them an upbringing and a good education. The SOS school is emphasizing read more