Marafiki Music Festival

A celebration of live music

Photography: ©Matei Babu

This year’s Marafiki Music Festival was a chance to experience the cream of East African talent performing live on stage. The three-day event took place in October across three venues – Nafasi Art Space and Alliance Francaise in Dar es Salaam and Firefly, a boutique lodge in Bagamoyo. Among the big-name acts who entertained the crowds were Nasibo, from Zimbabwe; Ziad Daroueche, from the Comoro Islands; Akoth Jumadi, from Kenya; Tarajazz and Zan Ubuntu, from Zanzibar; Sinaubi Zawose, from Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam’s Dabo Mtanzania. There were also plenty of opportunities to discover your new favourite band with a host of emerging acts such as Bahati Female Band, Kudra Mazongela, Justine Kaozya and Balaa MC. The festival – which was launched in 2020 with the aim of discovering new talent and expanding Tanzania’s live music scene – also stages music industry discussions and workshops. This year’s event was so successful, festival director Isack Abeneko is already inviting applications from performers for October 2022. For details, visit the festival’s new website marafikifestival.org email marafikimusicfestival@gmail.com or call +255 714 383 883.

Nafasi is also looking ahead with a host of exciting events to see out 2021. Internationally renowned Tanzanian musician Msafiri Zawose will head performing arts event Lete Stori on November 20 while on November 26 there will be an early evening of jazz and poetry in the Nafasi library. Finally, get set for a weekend not to be missed as the Nafasi stage hosts plenty of live music at the Sauti Mpya Festival. Visit nafasiartspace.org or its social media pages for more details.