Sauti za Busara: Trip III

The main stage, early Thursday night before the big weekend crowd

What more can I say about Sauti za Busara that I haven't already said before? (Trip I, Trip II) I am fortunate to have visited the festival twice previously, once with my brother, and once with my wife. This year I decided to go solo which offered a new perspective and experience. I consider myself a fairly outgoing individual and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world was an exciting prospect. And no matter how much I hype up this event, it did not disappoint!

I absolutely loved the crowd. I felt this year there were more Tanzanians than in the past though the crowd still had plenty of foreigners. The foreigners tended to come early while the locals filed in later in the evening. Living in rural Tanzania it can be a shock to the system to see so many cosmopolitan Dar es Salaam residents and then even more so the Kenyan and South Africans. They bring a style and vibe that is not found in Iringa Region! I had two "groups" that became friendly with during the festival and I'd often spend time dancing and chatting with them. One was a German women, that had lived in Lamu for a few years but has now moved back to Germany. She had met a young French woman that was traveling for a month and we all seemed to spontaneously find each other each night. The other group was a group of four black South Africans from Johannesburg all very stylish. They were all young artists and designers and we enjoyed talking about South Africa and Tanzania. Of course I floated around the crowd and established a kind of "head nod greeting rapport" with loads of others. A young Tanzanian footballer from Dar es Salaam, an artist from Burundi, a half Algerian/American expat teaching in Nairobi, the drummer from the Moroccan band, and many others!

My favorite pic that I took from the fest encapsulating the cultural exchange that I love. I had a hip and stylish South African in front of me grooving to the South African band. Her hairstyle, dress, and general style are very different than what one might find in Zanzibar. A young girl had come with her mother and sat down to watch the music. I saw the young girl scanning the crowd people watching, soaking in the different cultures and behaviors. I think it's amazing to have a respectful exposure and welcoming of different cultures to the island and this is no more apparent than the early public outdoor shows!

The music was, as expected, fresh, professional, and diverse. There were bands that were obviously refined from years of heavy touring, sharp and tight with an international sound. Then there would be a band with homemade instruments that just exuded and fed off energy. There would be unique songs written in funky time signatures or jazzy progressions followed by a band that played continuous throughout their set likely a product of a rough structure and a whole lot of improv. As is my tradition, each night I sat down and rated the band as well as wrote a brief description of the music, often struggling with the words to describe some of the more eclectic groups. Sauti za Busara emphasizes that they do not bring in big headlining bands, rather they focus on up and coming talents and lesser heard of artists. It's one of the most exciting things for me about the fest; I am ready for four days of music from bands I've never heard of!

The festival organizers did a fantastic job of moving everything along smoothly and on time. I've seen improvements over the years in festival organization and sound quality. I was happy to see more sponsors this year, always a good sign for the festival. I can't speak highly enough about this festival and I'm already looking forward to next year!!!

Outdoor stage

The amphitheater stage 

View from outside the Old Fort

Video above: Every day there were two performances conducted in the public area outside the main festival grounds. There was always a huge crowd of young men, very hyped up and having a good time. During one of the performances there was a particularly animated young man that danced up on the speakers with outlandish dance moves. The festival organizers saw him and said, "what the heck, let's get that guy on stage!". They invited him up and he fed off the crowd like no other.