The Sauti za Busara Music Festival will be held in Stone Town, on the romantic islands of Zanzibar, February 8 -12th, 2012. The annual music festival in Zanzibar is a showcase of the best and most exciting African music.

The festival includes more than 40 musical groups, hailing from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, West Africa and Europe.

Sauti za Busara is Swahili for “Sounds of Wisdom.” Zanzibar is the birthplace of Swahili (an Arabic word for “of the coast”); a lingua franca forged from global dialects, upon which legends were carried, trade routes opened and a Sultan’s empire prospered. The colorful mosaic of cultures and traditions found in Zanzibar is the result of its history as a crossroads of civilizations, absorbing peoples from as far as the Orient and Iberia, Assyria and India.

For five days, visitors can enjoy “African Music under African Skies” in Zanzibar’s balmy tropical climate. The Carnival Street parade, in Stone Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, kicks off the festivities and draws in the participation of visitors and locals alike. It provides a great opportunity for tourists to experience firsthand culture of Zanzibar and the warm hospitality of its people.

The islands of Zanzibar are located on the coast of the Indian Ocean and are filled with beautiful white stretches of sand. There is the option of taking a quick 15-minute flight from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital to Zanzibar or the scenic route, a two-and-half hour ferry ride.

Dr. Aloyce Nzuki, Managing Director of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) said, “the annual Sauti za Busara Music Festival which grows in popularity from year to year, also attracts visitors because of the unique opportunity to combine a rich cultural experience with a safari to some of Tanzania’s world-renowned national parks and archaeological sites. Short flights from Zanzibar can connect visitors to Arusha, the gateway to the northern safari circuit including the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro as well as the Ngorongoro Crater; and to Dar es Salaam the gateway to the South, including Ruaha National Park and the Selous Game Reserve. All these create great pre or post Festival tour options.”

Zanzibar Festival Tours, the official Festival travel providers, offers nine day packages starting at $2,450 per person and is all inclusive of airport and resort transfers on Zanzibar, all breakfasts and most meals, hotel accommodations, V.I.P. Festival pass to all events and performances.

Tanzania Tourist Board, www.tanzaniatourism.go.tz, Zanzibar Fetsival Tours, www.zanzibarfestivaltours.com