The Sunday Mail
Robin Chaibva —
IT is not only Hifa which failed to take place last year. Tanzania’s Sauti za Busara’s 13th edition was also held back by a year – but it is back!
Although no Zimbabwean artiste is taking part at the event this year, Yours Truly is headed there. As a travel and tourism fanatic, I try to attend all the festivals that Africa has to offer, from Swaziland to Kenya and beyond.
For me, Sauti za Busara could not have come at better time, major airlines and some budget carriers are competing for domestic and regional routes, which means airfares are going down. There is an increase in domestic flights linking regional cities.
New airline companies like Rainbow are setting up shop while others like Fly Africa are planning massive comebacks.
Ethiopian Airways will by March be flying to Victoria Falls, adding to the convenience of domestic and regional travel for tourist and fun seekers alike.
The destination for my latest excursion is Zanzibar, which is a part of the United Republic of Tanzania, famous for its spices, peace loving people, blue waters, white sandy beaches and rich history. This year marks the return of the world class festival Sauti za Busara, which means “Sounds of Wisdom” or “Voices of the Wise” in Swahili.
This East African festival, one of the grandest on the African continent, celebrates music from the region and across Africa and brings over 20 000 people to this four-day event. Relying heavily on donations by corporates and visitors, the festival did not take place last year.
This world class holiday destination relies greatly on the tourism economy for development. Its failure to take place last year affected the Zanzibar economy, which was thirsting for the tourist beeline.
The support and sponsorship they have gained from local government has brought back the event with the 2017 edition scheduled from February 9 to 12, in Stone Town, Zanzibar, at the Old Fort. The community benefits from Sauti za Busara as a festival that brings significant business to the island paradise. Its focus is on promoting music with cultural identity. This year’s edition is themed #AfricaUnited as music brings the world together on the island.
Zanzibar has a long history of conflict but has been united for over a decade by this festival, which is designed to develop in both locals and visitors an appreciation of the beauty of African music. According to the organisers, “this is where the name ‘Sounds of Wisdom’ comes from – as our music has a deep message”.
“African music, by nature, is didactic and almost always has a philosophical message behind the entrancing and enchanting symphony of sound,” reads a passage from the event profile.
More than a live music show with over 400 artistes, the festival provides a platform for artistes from all over the world to network, express issues and train vital skills for their development.
In 2013, two popularly known artistes in Zimbabwe, Comrade Fatso and Ammara Brown, graced the stage at Sauti za Busara. This year’s edition has received additional financial sponsorship with the official festival partner, Ethiopian Airlines, giving a 15 percent discount to all visitors heading to Zanzibar from any of their destinations. Luckily for us in Zimbabwe, Ethiopian Airlines travels daily from Harare International Airport to Tanzania.
Win tickets to Sauti za Busara African citizens pay US$60 for a pass for the event’s duration, while Tanzanians pay US$10. However, you can win tickets courtesy of @mappafrica a mobile app created by a Zimbabwean, Brian Dodo, for all things music, art, people and places in Africa.
Download the app and use it to gain points by using and sharing updates to other social media platforms, the top two users get two festival tickets each. Mention and share that you heard about the app from The Sunday Mail, @SundayMailZim, the leading weekly newspaper in Zimbabwe.
Important: Remember to get yellow fever vaccine when travelling to East Africa, anti-malarial drugs as well as mosquito repellents are also necessary to carry.
Follow the travel story on www.sundaymail.co.zw, Facebook SundayMailZimbabwe or Twitter @SundayMailZim. Robin also runs a travel blog, HambaNow, which explores the treasures of holidaying and travel destinations. Discover the flavour and rhythms of our beautiful continent with us on Instagram using the hashtag #SzB2017 @hambanow and www.hambanow.com
