Sauti za Busara unveils line-up for 2024 edition

Busara Promotions, the organisers of Sauti za Busara, one of the best African music festivals has announced the line-up for the 21st edition.
Descendants of great African musicians like Mádé Kuti and The Movement (Nigeria) and Selmor Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe) headline the line-up. 

Mádé Kuti and The Movement, son of Femi Kuti and grandson of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, was surrounded by music early on and took to the alto sax at five years old, started touring with his father at eight and wrote his first song at 10. 
Continuing with the Kuti legacy of speaking up for the everyday Nigerian folks, Mádé Kuti and his father took to the streets to partake in the 2020 #ENDSARS protests, which denounced police brutality in Nigeria. 

Mádé Kuti has truly inherited the sound and power of his grandfather. On his recently released album For(e)ward, he played every single instrument on the record, now performing it with a 14-piece band. 

Selmor Mtukudzi is a top-class musician from Zimbabwe. Her musical journey started at the age of 10 when her father, the late Zimbabwean superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, took her to her first studio recording session for the movie soundtrack, I Am The Future. She has won numerous awards in her native country and abroad, including the USA and nominations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. 
Adding her own fresh twist to her late father’s sound, Selmor transcends the past and the future, a pure treat for all Tuku Music lovers. 
Other artistes lined up include Francesco Nchikala (DRC, Zambia), a singer, solo guitarist, and composer. His sound incorporates elements of smooth jazz, blues, rock, folklore, and rumba. Brian Aliddeki, a Ugandan multi-instrumentalist and an undergraduate student at the African Institute of Music, also will feature. He specialises in contemporary music. 

There is also Stewart Sukuma, a gifted musician, singer, and composer from the small village of Cuamba in the Mozambican state of Niassa, and one of the legendary singers from Mozambique. Together with Banda Nkhuvu, an eight-piece Afropop Jazz band, Sukuma combines traditional and contemporary Mozambican music styles and instrumentation to create an energetic fusion of jazz and Afropop. 

Flying Bantu, Zimbabwe, offers a contemporary, genre-blending African sound that combines funk, rock, and reggae. Their music transcends borders, creating a universal African musical experience. 
The singeli representative from Tanzania will be Sholo Mwamba and Tamimu, who also promise outstanding performances. Other Tanzanian artistes to be featured include Siti and The Band, Wakazi, Warrior from the East Band, Africulture, Lwendo Afrika, Brain Boy and Mubba.

The festival line-up 2024 also has Mary Anibal (Zimbabwe), The Brother Moves On (South Africa), Zoë Modiga (South Africa), Flying Bantu (Zimbabwe), Dogo Fara (Reunion), Afropentatonism (Niger, Ethiopia), Ita and Mehdy (Algeria), Swahili Encounters (Zanzibar/Various), Sibu Manai (Reunion), Lwendo Afrika (Tanzania), Anuang’a and Maasai Vocals (Kenya), and Africulture (Tanzania), among others. 

“The lineup is the result of over 400 applications submitted to Busara from all over the world. We extend our gratitude to our selection committee for their remarkable and challenging task of choosing the artists,” Journey Ramadhan, the festival director, told Saturday Monitor, adding, “Our lineup is a musical journey that touches upon the diverse landscapes of the African continent, highlighting the richness and diversity of African music. The lineup features a diverse group of musicians who contribute to their communities by delivering positive messages.”

Ramadhan also expressed the festival’s delight “to host two descendants of great African musicians” in Mádé and Selmor. He added: “Our goal is to showcase Africa as a remarkable place, and their presence will undoubtedly add significant value to our festival.” 
The 21st edition of Sauti za Busara festival will take place in Stone Town, Zanzibar, from February 9 to 11, 2024 under the theme “Moving Diversity.”