Sauti za Busara

Zanzibar · TZ

Sauti za Busara is the Zanzibar festival that Busara Promotions, a Zanzibari non-profit set up in 2003, has staged annually since 2004, and it is one of the few large African festivals that insists every act plays 100 percent live. The 23rd edition took over Mnazi Mmoja Grounds on the edge of Stone Town with 26 acts: the Salif Keita Band, Tanzania's Ben Pol and Man Fongo, Zanzibari taarab groups Rajab Suleiman and Kithara and TaraJazz, South Africa's Pilani Bubu, Kenya's Labdi, Reunion's Lindigo, Togo's Ancestors and Rwanda's Kaya Byinshii. Salif Keita himself could not travel for health reasons and Hawa Kasse Mady Diabate and Madou Kouyate fronted the band in tribute. The 24th edition is set for 19 to 21 March 2027. The annual Call for Artists asks for up to two live performance video links, up to two MP3s, two high-resolution photos and a stage plan with technical rider, and gives preference to music with a clear African cultural identity, women artists or women-led groups, young and emerging talent, and positive social messages; the 2027 deadline was midnight EAT on 30 June 2026 and the line-up is announced in October 2026, so the next window opens with the following cycle. Selected acts get an honorarium, per diems, Zanzibar accommodation, all local transport and Tanzanian visa costs covered for the artist plus one crew member, plus festival passes and an invitation to the Movers and Shakers industry networking sessions. Applications and enquiries go to a named address.