Sauti za Busara announces line-up for 2022 edition

From 11 to 13 February, SzB will feature a diverse line-up of musicians and a carefully curated programme that will celebrates the more experimental side of live music.

The upcoming edition will run under the theme, Paza Sauti: Amplifying Women’s Voices, which is aimed at promoting gender equality on festival line-ups and in the entire creative sector.

Notable names who will be making their debut at the event include Sjava (South Africa), Maallem Abdelkebir Merchane (Morocco), Dendri Stambeli Movement (Tunisia), Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Zanzibar), Nomfusi (South Africa), Fanie Fayar (Congo-Brazzaville), Sylent Nqo (Zimbabwe), Msaki (South Africa), Suzan Kerunen (Uganda), Aleksand Saya (Reunion), Jordan Adetunji (Northern Ireland), Evans ’Pfumela’ Mapfumo (Zimbabwe), Upendo Manase (Tanzania) and Zan Ubuntu (Zanzibar).

Planning a triumphant return to the festival is Siti & the Band, the Zanzibari fusion group this is currently finding growing international success, and Wamwiduka Band, which has been touted as one the most promising bands from the East African archipelago.

The musicians on the line-up were selected from a pool of 316 applicants, which according to SzB founder Yusuf Mahmoud was much lower than previous years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic and associated travel restrictions put many people off travelling, but we are optimistic that by 2022 things will start returning to the ‘new normal’,” Mahmoud told Music In Africa. “We normally allocate about 50% of performance slots to artists from Tanzania while ensuring other regions of the continent are also included. Even if most groups performing are not visible in mass media, we have confidence their music will appeal to local and international audiences. Our main priorities are to promote women musicians, new and emerging talents, music with cultural identity, originality, innovation, energy and excitement on stage.”

Wamwiduka Band frontman Brown Isaya says fans should expect an energetic performance when the group takes the SzB stage in February.

“We are extremely grateful to the selection committee for a second opportunity to play at this festival, which is very eclectic,” he said. “We feel lucky to be sharing the stage with such incredible and accomplished African musicians. We have played many local shows since our debut at Sauti za Busara and we are now looking for opportunities to tour regionally and internationally.”

The festival’s artist-focused initiative, Movers and Shakers, which includes a daily workshop and panel discussion, will offer a platform for female musicians to share personal experiences about their success and challenges in the industry.

“Movers and Shakers is a very important platform for local and international artists, managers, promoters, and media and creative professionals to network, exchange and collaborate,” Mahmoud said. “The festival has set out to be more proactive in encouraging women’s participation, with targets to increase the number of female-led performing groups from 14% in 2021 to 40% by 2024.” 

Kerunen, who will finally get a chance to bring her acclaimed folk-fusion style to Stone Town, says performances at festivals like SzB can enhance musicians’ visibility and increase their chances of being booked for other events.

“I am very excited about coming to SzB next year,” she said. “The festival is the leading platform for musicians to develop new international audiences. Uganda has been on lockdown for close to two years, and the effects have been very damaging. The SzB audience will be the first to listen to the live version of my new album From Ashes We Rise. It’s full of stories from Africa.”

Mahmoud says hosting big festivals comes with its challenges, especially during a global crisis. “It has become even more difficult for donors and sponsors to support the arts. For the second consecutive year, we reduced the number of stages, days and fringe activities so that the main elements could at least go ahead. We are possibly the only major festival that happened with human and physical editions in the past two years, and many artists and audiences applauded our efforts,” he said.

Asked to highlight the impact of the festival on the local community, SzB festival manager Journey Ramadhani said: “The annual fest offers a host of economic and social benefits to communities. The economic benefits of the festival are easiest to see and most often cited: SzB attracts visitors who stimulate the growth of tourism and other businesses in the town. On its social benefits, it’s fair to say that the temporary increase in the population of the locale over the years has put pressure on standardised essential facilities such as accommodation, transport, infrastructure and even security."

Advance tickets will be available until 31 January here. Sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available here.