Artists

Back in the 1950s and 60s many regions in Zanzibar including the streets of Stone Town had at least one taarab or kidumbak group. Sadly few remain. However, in the village of Mahonda, on the main road north from Zanzibar Town, since 1993 the KIKI Kidumbaki group has been alive read more

When born a Cissoko, one is a kora player. The Guinean Ba Cissoko perpetuates a more than centenary history. He is the last born of a long lineage of griots, master singers and agile string pluckers.

Ba Cissoko knows all the codes and secrets of tradition. He estimates its reach, for read more

Originating from Pemba Island, Brain Boy’s sound is inspired by traditional Taarab musicians like Makame Faki and Mohammed Isa Matona. In hearing his natural deep voice, he has been nick-named ‘Makame Faki Jr’ - the King of Kidumbaki.

Brain Boy creates a fusion of traditional Taarab and Kidumbaki with a new read more

Msaki has always had a knack for voicing our inner fears, hopes and desires. She is a singer-songwriter-producer-curator and one of South Africa’s most unique and exciting talents.

She is equally at home in acoustic settings as well as on chart-topping bangers by the globally revered South African house music fraternity read more

Shailja, pronounced Shell-jah, Patel is an Asian African poet and spoken-word theatre artist. She is currently performing a one-woman show, Migritude, which has received a Creation Fund Award from the National Performance Network. Excerpts from Migritude have aired on National Public Radio in the US, and the BBC in the read more

Muhonja is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, actress, guitarist, percussionist, and social activist. Hailing from a family of musicians, her first inspiration was from her parents, who taught her how to play the guitar, further growing to become a self-taught player of the Kalimba and Udu Drums.

Deep into her music, she read more