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.
Zanzibar culture has been largely influenced by the many traders and invaders who came to the Island in the course of its history. The Omani Arabs, the English, and the Portuguese are some of the communities that have influenced the culture in Zanzibar. Some festivities in the Island - such as Mwaka Kogwa (celebration of the Persian new year), Sauti za busara, and the Zanzibar international film festival - portray this mixed cultural heritage.
In Swahili, Sauti za Busara literally means sounds of wisdom. The festivals showcase the best of the Swahili speaking world's music, and is probably the greatest musical event in the Swahili speaking world. It is held every February in Stone town's old fort, which comes alive with the festivities. The invited artists range from bongo flava (a music genre popular across the entire East Africa) stars, drumming troupes, taarab musicians, and African ngoma dancers.
Apart from just being very popular with the local population, Sauti za Busara is also one of the key highlights of Zanzibar's bid to market itself as a top destination for cultural tourism. Many international visitors attend the event, which also gives the local artists a rare chance to interact with each other and exchange ideas, learn new things, and try out their creativity. During the sixth edition of the event, held from 12th to 17th February 2009, performing artists came from various parts of the world including Europe, Australia, and West Africa.
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.
Every year, the crowd that attends ZIFF gets bigger and bigger as its international reputation grows. The festival presents a unique chance to promote cultural understanding of Indian ocean dhow countries of Tanzania, Oman and India.
The last week of July sees the village of Makunduchi celebrate Mwaka Kogwa, the Persian New Year. The festival is a riot of colour, filled with rituals and fun. During this festival, men are given the chance to mock fight each other with banana stems to clear any past dispute for the new year. Women on the other hand dress in their best clothes and sing songs about family, love and life.
Traditionally, the key event of the festival is when participants burn down a hut to mark the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new one. The people believe that this guarantees the village's safety from fire throughout the year. It also purges evil amongst the land and its people. Much feasting, drumming, dancing and singing till dawn follow this ritual. The locals then extend great hospitality to everyone. It is believed that any resident who does not entertain a guest at that time will attract bad luck upon their household.
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.
Zanzibar culture has been largely influenced by the many traders and invaders who came to the Island in the course of its history. The Omani Arabs, the English, and the Portuguese are some of the communities that have influenced the culture in Zanzibar. Some festivities in the Island - such as Mwaka Kogwa (celebration of the Persian new year), Sauti za busara, and the Zanzibar international film festival - portray this mixed cultural heritage.
In Swahili, Sauti za Busara literally means sounds of wisdom. The festivals showcase the best of the Swahili speaking world's music, and is probably the greatest musical event in the Swahili speaking world. It is held every February in Stone town's old fort, which comes alive with the festivities. The invited artists range from bongo flava (a music genre popular across the entire East Africa) stars, drumming troupes, taarab musicians, and African ngoma dancers.
Apart from just being very popular with the local population, Sauti za Busara is also one of the key highlights of Zanzibar's bid to market itself as a top destination for cultural tourism. Many international visitors attend the event, which also gives the local artists a rare chance to interact with each other and exchange ideas, learn new things, and try out their creativity. During the sixth edition of the event, held from 12th to 17th February 2009, performing artists came from various parts of the world including Europe, Australia, and West Africa.
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.
Every year, the crowd that attends ZIFF gets bigger and bigger as its international reputation grows. The festival presents a unique chance to promote cultural understanding of Indian ocean dhow countries of Tanzania, Oman and India.
The last week of July sees the village of Makunduchi celebrate Mwaka Kogwa, the Persian New Year. The festival is a riot of colour, filled with rituals and fun. During this festival, men are given the chance to mock fight each other with banana stems to clear any past dispute for the new year. Women on the other hand dress in their best clothes and sing songs about family, love and life.
Traditionally, the key event of the festival is when participants burn down a hut to mark the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new one. The people believe that this guarantees the village's safety from fire throughout the year. It also purges evil amongst the land and its people. Much feasting, drumming, dancing and singing till dawn follow this ritual. The locals then extend great hospitality to everyone. It is believed that any resident who does not entertain a guest at that time will attract bad luck upon their household.
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.
About the Author:
The author works with Africapoint.com. Travel to Zanzibar Islands with Africa Point. Make online reservations for Zanzibar hotels and flights to Zanzibar
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