Episode Details

Sauti Za Busara means “sounds of wisdom.” That gives a clue to the music heard at the annual Sauti Za Busara festival in Stonetown, Zanzibar. It’s cool, savvy, surprising but never dull, and often hard-grooving. Afropop Worldwide attended the first edition in 2004. In 2023, we returned for a three-day feast of fantastic performances from the Swahili coast, the Indian Ocean and beyond. Taarab, kidumbak, Bongo Flava, Wagogo tradition and much more were on the menu. In this program, we hear live recordings from and meet artists who may never make it to our shores, but who you’ll be glad to meet. Produced by Banning Eyre.