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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

LOCAL musicians Evans “Pfumela” Mapfumo and Sylent Nqo are set to make their debut appearance at the Sauti za Busara (SzB) music festival that is being held at the Stone Town, Zanzibar, in February 2022.

The event is meant to celebrate 19 years of entertaining and inspiring diverse audiences and facilitating collaboration and exchange between local and international musicians in Africa.

From 11 to 13 February, guitarists Sylent Nqo and Pfumela will join a plethora of artistes.

Sylent Nqo

Under the theme “Paza Sauti: Amplifying Women’s Voices”, SzB 2022 will be aimed at promoting gender equality on festival line-ups and in the entire creative sector.

Debutants at the event include Sjava (South Africa), Maallem Abdelkebir Merchane (Morocco), Dendri Stambeli Movement (Tunisia), Nadi Ikhwan Safaa (Zanzibar), Nomfusi (South Africa), Fanie Fayar (Congo-Brazzaville), Msaki (South Africa), Suzan Kerunen (Uganda), Aleksand Saya (Reunion), Jordan Adetunji (Northern Ireland), Upendo Manase (Tanzania) and Zan Ubuntu (Zanzibar).

SzB founder Yusuf Mahmoud said the festival’s artist-focused initiative, Movers and Shakers, which includes a daily workshop and panel discussion, will offer a platform for female musicians to share personal experiences about their success and challenges in the industry.

“Movers and Shakers is a very important platform for local and international artists, managers, promoters, and media and creative professionals to network, exchange and collaborate,” Mahmoud said.

Advanced tickets to the show will be available until 31 January at the SzB site. – @eMKlass_49