Tanzania: Singeli Festi announces 2023 programme

Organised by Uswazi Born Talents (USB), the festival promotes singeli, the homegrown Tanzanian music genre that has now risen to compete with local staples like bongo flava and taarab, garnering global attention. It features performances by both established and upcoming artists, and over the past three editions it has attracted more than 15 000 people to its four venues.

Commenting on the 2023 event, USB said: “We are looking forward to creating more meaningful collaborations with other music and community development-based organisations to strengthen singeli music concerts, preserving and elevating the genre to the position it deserves as grassroots music that deserves recognition on the world stage.”

The programme kicked off with a series of press conferences last week, which sought to call attention to the activities lined up and highlight the festival partners. It also included a media tour of the different venues for the festival.

Below is the full Singeli Festi 2023 programme:

Road to Singeli Festi 2023

This is a pre-event for Singeli Festi 2023 that will be conducted in four regions in Tanzania with the aim of promoting the festival and creating a platform for upcoming singeli artists to showcase their talents.

Opening party at Alliance Française – 25 October

Singeli Festi opening party is a platform where singeli artists get a chance to introduce themselves to a new audience through showcases. The presence of local and international audiences from Africa, Europe and America provides a very useful platform for the growth and dissemination of singeli music, as well as the culture that gave birth to it – the Uswazi lifestyle.

Workshop at Nafasi Art Space – 26 October

This is a one-day workshop programme for capacity building and skills development for singeli musicians and other key players.

Uswazi Party – 27 October

The Singeli Festi Uswazi Party is also part of the opening celebration for Singeli Festi. It typically takes place in the Uswahilini (street area) known as Mwananyamala in Dar es Salaam. This helps to create awareness about the live performance at Rongoni Beach Resort.

Street parade (Mzuka Festi) – 28 October

USB will conduct social activities for community engagement in different areas of Dar es Salaam and the Coastal region. The main objective of parade is to enable social interaction and community engagement.

Women in Live performance – 28 October

This is a special platform that gives young women an opportunity to showcase their talents. The event will be exclusively organised, managed and executed by young women. USB believes that through this programme, young women will be inspired and foster a mindset that appreciates art, especially singeli music.

Stage performance – 29 October

This is the final live music performance featuring 15 singeli artists – both established and upcoming. Artists confirmed for the show are Balaa MC, Dullah Makabila, Sholo Mwamba, Mzee Wa Bwax, Seneta Kilaka, BaroBaro, Kinata MC and Man Fongo, among others.