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Grand Tour Edition for Tanzania- Zanzibar Zanzibar
Story Tanzania
Story Tanzania
Tour
Tanzania
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Festivals
Zanzibari Style "Zanzibar," the name itself
conjures up a mystical and romantic image, consists
of Unguja (known as Zanzibar Island), Pemba and
some 50 smaller surrounding island and islets.
Already popular for its beaches, water sports,
scuba diving (using environmentally-friendly
equipment), underwater photography, reef watching,
dolphin watching and snorkeling, Zanzibar is now
focusing on promoting its many year-round festivals
showcasing the diverse cultures and history of
Tanzania's Swahili coastal islands. "What makes Zanzibar's
festivals unique and popular with visitors is that
they are for the local population as well as for
the tourists," says Mohammed Vuai, Executive
Secretary of the Zanzibar Tourism Commission.
"There are events and activities that take place in
the local communities throughout the
islands." 13th &endash;
15th February, 2004 SAUTI ZA BUSARA
(Sounds of Wisdom) Swahili Music +
Cultural Festival Weekend cultural
extravaganza showcasing a diversity of
performing arts rooted in Swahili language
and traditions. Featuring the finest
traditional and contemporary groups from
Tanzania, East Africa and beyond,
admission is free! SAUTI
ZA BUSARA FESTIVAL: Swahili Music and
Cultural Festival in Zanzibar:
February
13-15, 2004 Bookings and more
information: busara@zanlink.com A 3-day weekend
cultural extravaganza of music,
theater and dance. The theme
of this new dynamic
festival on the African cultural calendar
is Swahili Encounters, focussing
on showcasing a diversity of performing
arts which are all rooted
in Swahili language
and traditions. Modern and traditional
styles, both religious and
secular will be represented, alongside
exciting new fusions and included
will be some of the
finest groups from Tanzania and Kenya. The
2004 inaugural Festival
takes place on the magical and friendly
islands of Zanzibar, Tanzania
and is FREE admission
for all. The festival venue is Malindi
Grounds, a large green
open space in the area close to the main
market of Zanzibar Town.
Accommodation at
all levels is available within easy
walking distance of the main
festival venue. SAUTI ZA
BUSARA festivals are planned for the
future in a range of East African
islands and coastal
venues and will expand to include a broad
program of local and
international artists. During the week
before the 2004 festival Busara Promotions
collaborates with the
Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA
Zanzibar: www.zanzibarmusic.org)
to present a
series of related music-based workshops
and master classes. For the week
following the
event Busara also plans to coordinate a
variety of recording sessions
featuring many
festival artists at Zanzibar's Heartbeat
Studios. A full-colour
promotional flyer is available in Adobe
Photoshop or jpeg format. Music groups and
artists interested in participating please
send press kits to: Busara Promotions,
PO Box 3635, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Tel: +255
747 428478 Advertising,
merchandising and sponsorship packages are
available. For more
information contact Festival Director at
busara@zanlink.com Use your ZANLINK
Webmail to check and send your e-mail from
anywhere in the world The Zanzibar International
Film Festival (ZIFF), probably the most famous and
largest cultural event in East Africa, will hold
the 6th annual "Festival of the Dhow Countries"
June 28-July 13, 2003. The festival promotes the
art and culture of the Dhow Region &endash; the
Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Asia, the Indian
Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands, and its rich
legacy, expressed in music, film, crafts, dance,
video, photography, and sculpture. The presentation
of the coveted Golden and Silver Dhow Awards for
best films and video productions are among the
highlights of the festival. Stone Town, the oldest
section of Zanzibar Town, a bustling Swahili port,
is the main festival venue. A World Heritage site,
Stone Town itself is a cultural attraction. The
Festival now promotes an extensive program of
films, performing arts, women's events, children's
"Panorama," workshops and seminars, exhibitions and
festivals in villages throughout the Zanzibar
Islands. "Zanzibar Annual Cultural
Festival" held annually on July 19, also draws
cultural troupes from different countries and takes
place in Stone Town. The main festival events take
place in historic sites such as the Old Portuguese
Fort and Jamhuri Garden. Other activities include
street carnivals, fairs, canoe races and bull
fights from Pemba. Mwaka Kogwa Festival, a
four-day long "New Year" celebration, is held
annually around the third week of July. The best
place to join in the festivities is at Makunduchi,
located at the southeastern part of Zanzibar. The
origin of this holiday is Zoroastrian (a Persian
religion older than Islam), and participants
celebrate with huge bonfires and mock fights,
between men who defend themselves with banana stems
(in the place of the sticks that were used
formerly). Zanzibar is easily
accessible from mainland Tanzania via frequently
scheduled short, 20-minute flights, or on daily
ferries, which take two hours, or by hydrofoil,
hovercraft and catamaran, the fastest of which
takes only 75 minutes. Zanzibar also has an
international airport which is served by Ethiopian
Airlines, Kenya Airways and Gulf Air in addition to
the many regional carriers such as Coastal Aviation
and Precision Air. |
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