PRESS RELEASE

for publication 5 July 2023

Sauti za Busara: A New Chapter Begins

ZANZIBAR: Starting this month July, the Busara Promotions NGO and its globally renowned annual music festival will be under new leadership. Now aged 61, Yusuf Mahmoud, the founder CEO and Sauti za Busara festival director for the past twenty years says the time has arrived to hand over to younger leaders, with more stamina and fresh ideas. In the meantime, he says he is proud of the organisation’s many achievements.

“When we established Busara Promotions in 2003, one of our plans was to host an annual festival in Stone Town, showcasing the wealth and diversity of music from East Africa and the Swahili-speaking region. Little did we expect the festival to become a pan-African event that is now one of the most respected music events on the Continent, attracting thousands of visitors to Zanzibar every year in February,” Yusuf commented.

Yusuf will continue working with Busara, as a member of its governing Board of Trustees. He said that with core-funding support for the organisation assured for at least two more years from Fumba Town, a project by property developer CPS, this is a sensible time to handover. Starting this month Lorenz Herrmann, a German cultural entrepreneur, musician and arts manager who lived in Tanzania since 2016, will become Managing Director. To ensure continued success of the annual Sauti za Busara festival, he will work closely with Journey Ramadhan, a Tanzanian who worked as a manager with the event since 2009, and now takes the reins as Festival Director.

Commenting on his new appointment, Lorenz Herrmann, the incoming Managing Director said, “My strong background in arts management, combined with my passion for promoting cultural diversity and supporting artists and my strong network in the corporate and cultural sector gained from seven years’ working in Zanzibar, align perfectly with Busara Promotions and make me well-equipped to take on this role. I believe that music and arts have the power to bridge differences, foster understanding, and promote positive change in society. I am committed to upholding these values and driving the impact and professionalism of the festival to new heights.”

https://www.busaramusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Busara-New-Management-photo-by-Rashde-Fidigo-image00005.jpg

The 21^st Sauti za Busara edition, from 9 – 11 February 2024, is sponsored by Fumba Town - a project by CPS, Ignite Culture, Zanlink and more to be confirmed. African musicians interested to participate are invited to apply online via the festival website until 31^st July 2023.

More info: www.busaramusic.org

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Note to Editors: Download photos, logos and more at www.busaramusic.org/downloads