Zanzibar Island has an international reputation for romantic beach holidays. However, the Island is also equally popular for East African cultural safaris. Some areas in Zanzibar such as the house of wonders, the streets of old stone town, the Arab fort, the people's palace, and Dr. Livingstone's house are favorite with visitors on a cultural tour on the Island.
The archipelago and its people have their own unique history and culture, influenced by the traders and invaders over the centuries; from the Portuguese, Omani Arabs to English. The result of this fusion of different ethnic groups has resulted in interesting cultural events such as Sauti za Busara, Zanzibar International Film Festival and Mwaka Kogwa " the celebration of the Persian New Year.
Sauti za busara festivals, literally meaning sounds of wisdom, are held every February in Zanzibar stone town's old fort. The event is arguably the best music event in Swahili speaking East Africa. During the festivals, Stone Town's old fort comes very much alive. Performers at the event include taarab artists, bongo flava (a very popular East African music genre)stars, drumming troupes, and ngoma dancers.
In Zanzibar Island's recent efforts to market itself as a global cultural tourism destination, Sauti za Busara is one of the key highlights. The event is popular with the local community as well as the many international visitors who attend. The festival accords local artists opportunity to meet and interact with each other, and in the process exchange ideas that trigger artistic creativity. The sixth edition of the event held from February 12th to 17th saw artists from many parts of the world attend. Performers came from as far as West Africa, Australia and Europe.
Every July, Zanzibar hosts one of East Africa's largest cultural events going by the name Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). ZIFF presents an exciting and varied program of international film and videos, music, dance, drama and art exhibitions. In 2007, ZIFF celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The festival has continued to attract larger and larger crowds each year and gaining international prominence. ZIFF is especially giving a unique opportunity to preserve and promote understanding of culture from across the Dhow countries of Tanzania, India and Oman.
The other major cultural event, the Persian new year celebrations, takes place in the last week of July in the Makunduchi village. Many rituals and fun mark this colorful event during which men hold mock fights with banana stems. The mock fights symbolize the sorting out of any disputes from the previous years. At that time, women put on their best dresses, and compose love songs, and songs about life and family.
The traditional burning of a hut is the most symbolic event and the highlight of Mwaka Kogwa. It marks the end of one year, and the start of a new one. It is also believed to purge evil from the land and protect the village from fire throughout the year. After that, the villagers party, sing, dance to African drums and other music instruments till dawn. They also extend hospitality to all people in the knowledge that any local who does not entertain a guest will receive bad luck.
As a result of the mentioned cultural events, Zanzibar Island has gained international fame as a center for African culture. Visitors to Zanzibar can get there by sea and by air. Some of the international airlines that operate scheduled flights to Zanzibar include Ethiopian Airlines, KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, and Air Mauritius. Scheduled and domestic flights from Dar es Salaam are also available. From Dar es Salaam, visitors can also take a short boat trip to Zanzibar. - 21704
The archipelago and its people have their own unique history and culture, influenced by the traders and invaders over the centuries; from the Portuguese, Omani Arabs to English. The result of this fusion of different ethnic groups has resulted in interesting cultural events such as Sauti za Busara, Zanzibar International Film Festival and Mwaka Kogwa " the celebration of the Persian New Year.
Sauti za busara festivals, literally meaning sounds of wisdom, are held every February in Zanzibar stone town's old fort. The event is arguably the best music event in Swahili speaking East Africa. During the festivals, Stone Town's old fort comes very much alive. Performers at the event include taarab artists, bongo flava (a very popular East African music genre)stars, drumming troupes, and ngoma dancers.
In Zanzibar Island's recent efforts to market itself as a global cultural tourism destination, Sauti za Busara is one of the key highlights. The event is popular with the local community as well as the many international visitors who attend. The festival accords local artists opportunity to meet and interact with each other, and in the process exchange ideas that trigger artistic creativity. The sixth edition of the event held from February 12th to 17th saw artists from many parts of the world attend. Performers came from as far as West Africa, Australia and Europe.
Every July, Zanzibar hosts one of East Africa's largest cultural events going by the name Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). ZIFF presents an exciting and varied program of international film and videos, music, dance, drama and art exhibitions. In 2007, ZIFF celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The festival has continued to attract larger and larger crowds each year and gaining international prominence. ZIFF is especially giving a unique opportunity to preserve and promote understanding of culture from across the Dhow countries of Tanzania, India and Oman.
The other major cultural event, the Persian new year celebrations, takes place in the last week of July in the Makunduchi village. Many rituals and fun mark this colorful event during which men hold mock fights with banana stems. The mock fights symbolize the sorting out of any disputes from the previous years. At that time, women put on their best dresses, and compose love songs, and songs about life and family.
The traditional burning of a hut is the most symbolic event and the highlight of Mwaka Kogwa. It marks the end of one year, and the start of a new one. It is also believed to purge evil from the land and protect the village from fire throughout the year. After that, the villagers party, sing, dance to African drums and other music instruments till dawn. They also extend hospitality to all people in the knowledge that any local who does not entertain a guest will receive bad luck.
As a result of the mentioned cultural events, Zanzibar Island has gained international fame as a center for African culture. Visitors to Zanzibar can get there by sea and by air. Some of the international airlines that operate scheduled flights to Zanzibar include Ethiopian Airlines, KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, and Air Mauritius. Scheduled and domestic flights from Dar es Salaam are also available. From Dar es Salaam, visitors can also take a short boat trip to Zanzibar. - 21704
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The author works with Africapoint.com. Travel to Zanzibar Islands with Africa Point. Make online reservations for hotels and lodges in Zanzibar and Zanzibar flights
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