Zanzibar Islands: Luxury Beach Holiday and African Cultural Tours
The Island of Zanzibar is world famous for romantic vacations. The archipelago is however an equally important East African destination for cultural tours. Dr Livingstone's house, the Arab fort, the old stone town streets, the house of wonders, and the people's palace are some of the top cultural travel areas in Zanzibar.
The unique culture and history of Zanzibar bears varied influence from invaders and traders of the past, including the Omani Arabs, the Portuguese, and the English. Some cultural events in the Island portray this amazing fusion of different ethnic groups. These include the Zanzibar international film festival, the Persian new year celebrations " also known as Mwaka Kogwa " and Sauti za busara festivities.
In Swahili, Sauti za Busara literally means sounds of wisdom. The festivals showcase the best of the Swahili speaking world's music, and is probably the greatest musical event in the Swahili speaking world. It is held every February in Stone town's old fort, which comes alive with the festivities. The invited artists range from bongo flava (a music genre popular across the entire East Africa) stars, drumming troupes, taarab musicians, and African ngoma dancers.
Apart from just being very popular with the local population, Sauti za Busara is also one of the key highlights of Zanzibar's bid to market itself as a top destination for cultural tourism. Many international visitors attend the event, which also gives the local artists a rare chance to interact with each other and exchange ideas, learn new things, and try out their creativity. During the sixth edition of the event, held from 12th to 17th February 2009, performing artists came from various parts of the world including Europe, Australia, and West Africa.
The other cultural event in Zanzibar is the Zanzibar international film festival (ZIFF), held every July. It is the largest cultural festival in East Africa, presenting an amazing variety of international music and dance, art exhibitions, theater arts, film and video. The film festival had its 10th anniversary in 2007.
The festival has continued to attract larger and larger crowds each year and gaining international prominence. ZIFF is especially giving a unique opportunity to preserve and promote understanding of culture from across the Dhow countries of Tanzania, India and Oman.
It is in the village of Makunduchi that another major cultural festival is held, that is the celebration of the Persian new year. Mwaka Kogwa festivities are colorful and full of pomp, fun, and rituals. Men participate in mock fights conducted with banana stems while women dress in their best attire and sing love songs, and songs about family and life in general. The mock fights signify doing away with any past disputes.
The highlight of the Mwaka Kogwa festival is the traditional burning of a hut - said to signify the passing of the old year and the start of the new. This ritual is thought to ensure the safety of the village in case of fire during the year and to purge evil from the people and the land. After the fire and fighting there is song, dance, drumming and feasting. Hospitality is extended to all people as the locals believe that any villager without a guest will be the recipient of bad luck and the party goes on till dawn.
As a result of the mentioned cultural events, Zanzibar Island has gained international fame as a center for African culture. Visitors to Zanzibar can get there by sea and by air. Some of the international airlines that operate scheduled flights to Zanzibar include Ethiopian Airlines, KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, and Air Mauritius. Scheduled and domestic flights from Dar es Salaam are also available. From Dar es Salaam, visitors can also take a short boat trip to Zanzibar. - 13731
The unique culture and history of Zanzibar bears varied influence from invaders and traders of the past, including the Omani Arabs, the Portuguese, and the English. Some cultural events in the Island portray this amazing fusion of different ethnic groups. These include the Zanzibar international film festival, the Persian new year celebrations " also known as Mwaka Kogwa " and Sauti za busara festivities.
In Swahili, Sauti za Busara literally means sounds of wisdom. The festivals showcase the best of the Swahili speaking world's music, and is probably the greatest musical event in the Swahili speaking world. It is held every February in Stone town's old fort, which comes alive with the festivities. The invited artists range from bongo flava (a music genre popular across the entire East Africa) stars, drumming troupes, taarab musicians, and African ngoma dancers.
Apart from just being very popular with the local population, Sauti za Busara is also one of the key highlights of Zanzibar's bid to market itself as a top destination for cultural tourism. Many international visitors attend the event, which also gives the local artists a rare chance to interact with each other and exchange ideas, learn new things, and try out their creativity. During the sixth edition of the event, held from 12th to 17th February 2009, performing artists came from various parts of the world including Europe, Australia, and West Africa.
The other cultural event in Zanzibar is the Zanzibar international film festival (ZIFF), held every July. It is the largest cultural festival in East Africa, presenting an amazing variety of international music and dance, art exhibitions, theater arts, film and video. The film festival had its 10th anniversary in 2007.
The festival has continued to attract larger and larger crowds each year and gaining international prominence. ZIFF is especially giving a unique opportunity to preserve and promote understanding of culture from across the Dhow countries of Tanzania, India and Oman.
It is in the village of Makunduchi that another major cultural festival is held, that is the celebration of the Persian new year. Mwaka Kogwa festivities are colorful and full of pomp, fun, and rituals. Men participate in mock fights conducted with banana stems while women dress in their best attire and sing love songs, and songs about family and life in general. The mock fights signify doing away with any past disputes.
The highlight of the Mwaka Kogwa festival is the traditional burning of a hut - said to signify the passing of the old year and the start of the new. This ritual is thought to ensure the safety of the village in case of fire during the year and to purge evil from the people and the land. After the fire and fighting there is song, dance, drumming and feasting. Hospitality is extended to all people as the locals believe that any villager without a guest will be the recipient of bad luck and the party goes on till dawn.
As a result of the mentioned cultural events, Zanzibar Island has gained international fame as a center for African culture. Visitors to Zanzibar can get there by sea and by air. Some of the international airlines that operate scheduled flights to Zanzibar include Ethiopian Airlines, KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, and Air Mauritius. Scheduled and domestic flights from Dar es Salaam are also available. From Dar es Salaam, visitors can also take a short boat trip to Zanzibar. - 13731
About the Author:
The author works with Africapoint.com. Travel to Zanzibar Islands with Africa Point. Make online reservations for Zanzibar hotels and flights to Zanzibar
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