Sauti za Busara Music Festival, is a four-day cultural extravaganza, held annually in Zanzibar during February, organised by Busara Promotions.

The main aim of Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) is to bring people together and celebrate the wealth and diversity of Swahili music. A majority of groups participating are from the East African region, with some visiting artists from other countries. A rich and vibrant mix of styles is showcased each year, including traditional ngoma, taarab, kidumbak, mchiriku, rumba, "muziki wa dansi", Swahili hiphop "bongo flava", r’n’b, mystic and religious music, theatre, comedy and dance.

Immensely popular with Tanzanians as well as visitors to the region, Sauti za Busara has firmly established itself as an unmissable event on the African cultural calendar and "the friendliest festival on Planet Earth." (Daily News , Tanzania )

For more information please Visit the website: www.busaramusic.com, www.busaralive.com

Eid-el-Fitr is the festival at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Also known as Iddi or Sikukuu (days of celebration, festival or holiday), this festival is a time of gift giving and giving alms. The fasting of Ramadan is meant to remind people what life is like for their less fortunate brethren and the alms giving at Eid (known as Zakat-el-Fitr) is a continuation of the same idea. Both fasting and the giving of alms are two of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. Because the Islamic calendar is different from that of Christians, the dates for Ramadan and Eid change every year by about 11 days. The beginning of Ramadan will fall in mid-September 2007, lasting until mid-October.

Ramadan is a holy month in which drinking, smoking, and eating is prohibited during daylight hours. Some restaurants are closed during this month and outside town it can be difficult to get any food at all during daytime hours during Ramadan. Eid is a nice time to see all the little girls in their new dresses and the boys in their new sneakers. The girls wear kohl around the eyes regardless of age, and the boys run around firing cap guns. There is a general feeling of celebration as people go from house to house visiting friends and relatives, and attend taarab concerts and discos at night. Ramadan lasts for one full cycle of the moon and is followed directly by Eid, which lasts for four days. The festivities can be seen at the Mnazi Moja grounds across from the National Museum or at the Kariakoo fairgrounds near the Main Post Office.

A four-day celebration, Mwaka Kogwa is best observed at Makunduchi, a village in the south of Zanzibar. The origins of this holiday are Zoroastrian (a Persian religion older than Islam). It is a celebration of the New Year and some of the events include huge bonfires and mock fights. These fights are between men who defend themselves with banana stems (in place of the sticks that were formerly used), and this fighting, in which everyone gets a chance, is said to let everyone air their grievances and so clear the air as the new year rolls in. As the men fight, the women stroll through the fields singing songs about life and love. They are dressed in their best clothes and are taunted by the men – and hurl good-natured insults in return – after the fight is over. The festivities vary from village to village but Makunduchi is where the biggest events take place. All are welcome for the festival because it is a local belief that anyone without a guest for this holiday is unhappy. The Mwaka Kogwa festival takes place at the end of July.

ZIFF presents the annual Festival of the Dhow Countries during the first two weeks of July. The festival celebrates the arts and cultures of the African continent, the Gulf States, Iran, India, Pakistan and the islands of the Indian Ocean, collectively known as the Dhow Countries.

The centrepiece of the festival is an international film programme consisting of both competition and non-competition screenings. Fiction and documentary productions compete for the festival’s Golden and Silver Dhow Awards. As the focal event for East Africa, the festival programme includes a variety of film industry events and workshops. Other activities and events include music, theatre and dance performances and exhibitions. The festival’s world music programme features artists from Tanzania alongside international acts, and a literary forum offers a platform for international writers and publishers. There are also workshops and seminars for women and children, and Village Panoramas which reach about 40 villages across the Zanzibar islands of Unguja and Pemba.

For more information contact: ZIFF, P O Box 3032, Zanzibar, tel: 255 (4) 777 411499, email: ziff@ziff.or.tz, website: www.ziff.or.tz.