Preview: Sauti za Busara music festival

One of the jewels in Zanzibar's crown, tourism wise, is its legendary Sauti za Busara festival, drawing a diverse mix of locals, mainlanders, expats and tourists to a four day celebration of Swahili and African sounds.

2012's festival - taking place between 8 and 12 February - promises to be a great one, with some solid names such as Nigerian-German singer/songwriter Nneka, and South African rapper Tumi, famous among other things for performing a version of Hips Don't Lie with Shakira at the World Cup opening ceremony in 2010.

Just as importantly, there's an excellent and extensive Tanzanian musical line-up this year. The redoubtable Bi Kidude, rumoured to be reaching a century on this earth but still one of the strongest performers on the islands, will perform, as will women's taarab collective Tausi (meaning Peacock). Other Zanzibari acts include Skuli ya Kiongoni, Kidumbaki JKU, Utamaduni JKU, Shirikisho Sanaa, Swahili Vibes, Tandaa Traditional Group and Wanafunzi wa SOS.

From the mainland, edgy urban Jagwa Music (whose members mainly work in the Dar Es Salaam 'dala dala' bus industry) will perform again, as will Seven survivor, who practice the same 'mchiriku' style of DIY music popular in poor areas of urban and coastal Tanzania. Bongo Flava stalwart Lady Jaydee will appear, as will 'Swahili blues' artist Leo Mkanyia. Other acts from the mainland include Lumumba Theatre Group, Tunawaweza and Jembe Culture Group.

As usual, there are some performers from the Indian Ocean region, such as Chebli Msaidie from the Comores, who mixes Comorian taarab and Congolese rumba with a sprinkling of Western folk influences. Kozman Ti Dalon from Reunion play a high-energy version of traditional maloya music with exciting choreography and acrobatics, and Hanitra, famous on her home island of Madagascar, plays authentic, acoustic music with Cuban and Brazilian influences.

Other attractions include the emotional sound of Cape Verdean singer Ary Morais, popular Ugandan band Qwela and Mozambican cultural ambassadors Companhia Nacional de Canto e Danca.

All in all there are expected to be 400 musicians attending the festival, plus a carnival Street parade, African music films, a festival marketplace and a range of fringe events. These will include traditional ngoma drum and dance, fashion shows, dhow races, open-mic sessions, after-parties and performances of Zanzibar’s oldest taarab orchestras.

For music professionals, there will be a range of seminars and training Workshops and a daily networking forum.

BUSARA INFO: An all-festival pass for international visitors will cost TSH110,000 (currently around US $74). A single entry ticket will be TSH39,000 ($26). Music tends to take place between early evening and around 1am or 2am in the morning.

For East African residents, a pass is TSH40,000 and a single ticket TSH10,000. For Tanzanian residents, a pass is TSH20,000 and single ticket TSH3,000. There is also an option to pay for VIP seating, which costs TSH180,000 ($120) for a pass or TSH60,000 ($40) for a single ticket.

Book accommodation well in advance if you want to stay in the best hotels, as town gets busy. Many people combine a visit to the festival with a few days on the beaches.

If you want to see some pictures from 2011's festival, click on performances, people or parade