Rajab Suleiman and Kithara Band

Kithara was formed in 2012 by Zanzibari qanun player Rajab Suleiman and some younger members of the Culture Musical Club. “New times demand new structures to advance artistic goals“, Rajab says.

Feeling that their creativity was held up by the traditional club structure they branched out on their own. Besides composing and playing more conventional taarab songs and instrumentals Kithara are generating a new repertoire by turning to the inspiration of Zanzibar’s many traditional ngoma dances, trying to marry the infectious rhythms and melodies to the group’s regular taarab instruments that besides qanun, include oud, accordion, double bass and various percussion instruments.