Welcome to the September/October edition of Swahili Coast
Here at ZG Design, we’re happy to welcome some new faces to the Swahili Coast team. Michela di Stefano has taken over the design of Swahili Coast and Nina Springle has come on board as a features writer. Turn to page 32 to check out Nina’s guide to Ramadhan, with some crucial dos and don’t for visitors during this time.
In this edition, enjoy a night out with Jesper Guhle Mogensen as he takes us on a whirlwind tour of Dar es Salaam’s night life on page 40. If you’re interested in arts and culture, check out page18 for the low down on the Bagamoyo Arts Festival, which showcases the best dance, music, drama and art Tanzania has to offer. If you’ve got some free time on the 16th September, head down to the beach and help out with this year’s International Coastal Clean Up Day. See page 50 for more information.
Now and Then revisits the House of Wonders and the Inside Guide gives you news from around Tanzania. We’ve added a dive centre listing to our usual section of maps and information which we hope you’ll find useful.
Enjoy your time in Tanzania
Nadin and the Swahili Coast team
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Akhenaton Family Nominated for Kisima Awards
Zanzibari musicians Akhenaton Family have been nominated for Best Video Tanzania at the Kenyan Kisima Awards for their song Amka Africa. After their success in Tanzania, it’s great to see them getting wider acclaim in East Africa. To support them, you can vote for them online at www.kisimaawards.co.ke under nominee code 17c.
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Chumbe Island Coral Park received funding from American NGO Seacology,
to replace the three buoys marking the borders of the marine park. The
process of getting all the materials to Zanzibar took longer than
expected, but finally the new buoys have been placed in the water. They
are equipped with a solar-powered light which blinks at night making it
easy for passing boats to avoid entering the sanctuary. The yellow “STOP
NO BOATS” buoys are clearly visible from the ferries passing between
Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. |
With so many places to choose from, how do you decide where to stay? If you’re heading south in Zanzibar, check out Kizimkazi Mkunguni ‘s Coral Reef Bungalows, tucked away in a shady garden on the beach. With 6 reasonably priced double bungalows, a great restaurant, daily dolphin viewing trips, traditional sailing, snorkelling and stunning sunset cruises on offer, Coral Reef Bungalows are well worth a visit.
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Like much of Zanzibar’s culture, its traditional music is a mosaic of
different styles from all over the Indian Ocean. The DCMA aims to
develop this unique traditional music. If you missed our student concert
on August 31st at the Old Fort, visit us in September for a Taarab/Kidumbak
concert on the 5th our open-school-day on the 6th from 11am-4 pm and the
piano concert on the 7th in the magnificent Old Customs House
overlooking the harbour.For more information www.zanzibarmusic.org
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Don’t miss the newly opened restaurant and bar at the Karamba Resort.
Their fabulous al carte menu offers local and international cuisine,
with Mediterranean dishes, fish specialities,
seafood and sushi and sashimi with a great selection of wines, beers and
spirits to complement your food. Chill out at the beach bar with a
cocktail, smoothie or milkshake and soak up the atmosphere. |
Have you been searching for something different? Want to relax by the ocean after a long safari? Then Mkoma Bay Tented Lodge is what you’ve been looking for! 45 km south of Tanga and four km north of Pangani, Mkoma Bay Tented Lodge offers guests simple luxury, excellent service, and superb cuisine. The spacious tents are situated in a forest like environment which leads down to our beach. Sip a cool drink by the pool while gazing out over picturesque Mkoma Bay. Come experience the
tranquillity and history of the Pangani coast.
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Indian Ocean, star studded sky, you and your partner on a paradise
island. This is Romance. Enjoy a gourmet dinner specially prepared for
you by our chefs and create a moment that will last for a lifetime! This
is romance! Conctact the Zamani Kempinski to make reservations. |
ZAPHA+ need donations of clothes, books and toys. Eid is coming up and often people use money they need for food to buy gifts for their children and family. ZAPHA+ is opening a sikuku (holiday) shop of donated clothes, books and toys at prices local people can afford. If you have anything you can donate or would just like to help out, call Seif M. Abdulla on 024 223 0329.
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ZG Design are looking for graphic designers to join their team in Stone Town. If you’re passionate about design and have an eye for something different, you might be the person we’re looking for. If you’re interested, send a CV and cover letter to marketing@zg-design.net.
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Busara Promotions is producing a coffee-table book celebrating five
years of promoting East African music. With four Sauti za Busara
festivals under their belt, and having supported
numerous Zanzibari and Tanzanian performances at home and abroad, they
have accumulated a stunning collection of photographs as well as amusing
anecdotes, charts and profiles of selected artists. It promises to be a
fascinating insight for anyone interested to find out more about what
goes on behind the scenes.Rumour has it that it will be available, with a companion CD and DVD compilation “Best of Busara”, in all good bookshops before the end of the year.
More details www.busaramusic.com
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The inside guide is a dedicated space for news, special offers and
events happening all over Tanzania. Just email us the details (in 80
words or less) and a high resolution photo to
marketing@zg-design.net and
we will include it in the next edition of Swahili Coast free of charge.
Please note we will only include contact details for non-commercial
enterprises and text may be edited. |
By Nadin Hadi
The air crackles with excitement as visitors from all over the world
converge on Bagamoyo for the 26th annual Bagamoyo Arts Festival.
Bagamoyo is the arts capital of Tanzania, home to the Chuo cha Sanaa,
the Bagamoyo College of Arts. From the 22nd to 27th October, you can
catch dazzling dance performances, spellbinding music, captivating
dramas, take part in workshops, view exhibitions by Tanzania’s most
talented artists and much more. This year’s theme is “Art for Economic
Growth and Poverty Reduction”, an issue that affects all students of the
college.The college’s roots lie in the National Performing Arts Company, founded by President Nyerere in 1963. The Company toured the country, performing in remote areas, promoting and learning traditional music and dance from the country’s different tribal groups, ensuring the survival of the Tanzania’s cultural heritage. In 1980, the National Performing Arts Company closed due to financial difficulties but there was an increasing need for some sort of educational training programme for artists to improve and develop their skills. In 1981, the Bagamoyo College of Arts was established, featuring many members of the National Performing Arts Company.
Today, the college is one of Africa’s most prestigious arts centres, teaching drama, dance, music, fine arts, acrobatics, scenery, lighting and sound engineering and more. Both Tanzanian and international students study at the college and take part in regional organisations like the Eastern African Theatre Institute and Southern African Theatre Initiative. Visitors to the college can watch classes or take a one on one lesson or a week long course for a reasonable fee.
From the 22nd October, Bagamoyo becomes a hive of activity with three sets of performances each day in the college grounds and the town hall. Morning sessions are from 10:00am to 1:00pm, afternoon shows begin after lunch at 2:30pm on till dusk at 6:00pm, with the evening performances rounding off the day from 7:30pm – 11:00pm. Entry to the main shows at the college is free but there’ll be a small fee for performances in the town hall to cover the cost of the building hire.
This year’s lineup is still being decided but expect current and former students to astound you with traditional dance and music, gravity defying acrobatics, contemporary dance, catchy reggae tunes and inventive rap. International performers
will take to the stage, in the past hailing from East Africa, Norway and Sweden. There’ll be entertaining theatre workshops, thought provoking discussion of this year’s theme at the symposium, stunning exhibitions of art and sculpture, amazing harmonies and melodies from choirs, spine tingling drumming, side splitting and moving dramas. Above all, there’ll be fun. Don’t miss it.
The 26th Bagamoyo Arts Festival takes place from the 22nd October to 27th October. For more information, check out www.sanaabagamoyo.com or call the college direct on:
023 244 0032.
The final line up will be confirmed by the end of September.
Getting there: Bagamoyo lies 70km north from Dar es Salaam. Buses and daladalas leave daily from Dar. The journey takes an hour.
Where to stay? There’s a choice of accommodation in town and on the beachfront, but expect the hotels to be packed for the festival. Booking in advance is recommended.
Livingstone Club www.livingstone-club.com
Travellers Lodge www.travellers-lodge.com
Moyo Mmoja Guest House 023 2440236
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By Nadin Hadi
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Beit-al-Ajaib or the House of Wonders was built in 1883 by Sayyid
Barghash for ceremonial purposes, gaining its name for being the first
building on Zanzibar with electric lights and the first in East Africa
with an elevator.
On the death of Sayyid Hamed in 1896, his son Sayyid Khalid, under
German encouragement, seized the throne and declared himself Sultan. At
the time, Zanzibar was a British Protectorate. The British delivered an
ultimatum to Khalid, surrender the throne within three days, in favour
of his brother Hanud, or pay the consequences. Khalid refused, saying if
he was attacked, he would defend himself. The British opened fire on the
27th August, bombarding Stone Town from cruisers and gunships anchored
in the harbour. The attack lasted 45 minutes, the shortest war in
history.
The damage to the waterfront was extensive and the pharos that stood
close to the sea was later incorporated into the House of Wonders
itself, having been severely damaged in the bombardment.
At the turn of the century, the building was used by the British for
their local office until the revolution in 1964. In 1977, the CCM (Chama
Cha Mapinduzi, Swahili for ìthe Party of the Revolutionî made the House
of Wonders the party school and museum. The CCM museum moved in early
1990s and the House of Wonders is now a museum
showing traditional Zanzibari culture with an impressive dhow dominating
the ground floor.
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By Nina Springle
With stoic anticipation, millions look to the sky during the ninth month
of the Islamic lunar calendar, for the first sign of the new moon;
searching, scanning for the sliver that will begin the annual month of
fasting, commemorating the revelation of the holy Qur’an to the prophet
of Islam, Muhammad. Ramadhan is practiced by all healthy Muslims and is
the most venerated month of the Islamic year. Muslims are required to
fast from sunrise to sunset for a whole lunar month, around 30 days.By abstaining from all consumption during daylight hours, Muslims learn to control their worldly desires, cultivate empathy and compassion, whilst showing their intense commitment to Allah, and strengthening their souls.
During Ramadhan, Zanzibar isn’t its usual lively self. Street life is sleepy, unusually quiet till late morning. People are slow to get moving. Many stay indoors for most of the day to guard against the heat of the sun. In the evenings, after sundown, most spend time with family and friends, sharing a meal in quiet company, recovering from the day’s exertions and preparing for the next. For Muslims fasting in the heat of the tropics, Ramadhan can be a challenging and exhausting time.
Day begins with a small meal just before dawn called daku. Once the sun rises, the meal ends and daily routine begins as usual. During daylight hours, two prayers are held, one at lunchtime and another at 4pm. No food can be eaten, no liquid drank, including water, or tobacco smoked during these hours. The fast is broken after dusk by the call of the evening prayer, often with porridge or dates and water. After prayer, the main meal is a communal event. Cassava, green banana, bread fruit and pumpkin cooked in coconut are a speciality, along with richly spiced meat, seafood and chicken. Indian inspired breads such as chapati and mandazi and rice are served as accompaniments. Sweet dishes include kiamati, small balls of pastry dipped in a honey or sugar syrup and vipopo, pastry balls cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
A visit to Zanzibar at any time promises experiences rich in adventure and diversity, it’s important to remember, to be respectful of the religious and cultural practices of the local people. Ramadhan is a time of modesty, discretion and piety and visitors should take care to be culturally sensitive. Dress modestly wearing skirts or trousers that fall below the knee and shirts that cover the arms. Don’t eat or drink in the street during the day. Even smoking should be discreet and private. Be patient when dining out. It’s likely restaurant staff will be fasting and may not have eaten since very early that morning, or even the day before. By showing a little understanding and sensitivity, visitors can coexist with local tradition and still enjoy a memorable holiday. As with most times of endurance and hardship, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When the new moon of the tenth month rises, Muslims welcome the end of Ramadhan and the beginning of the Eid ul-Fitr festival, a joyous celebration of renewal and regeneration for the new year. Spanning four days, Eid is a time for giving and merriment. Gifts of money and food are exchanged, new clothes adorned and delegations of celebrators visit the homes of family and friends, who in turn offer cake, halwa and kashata, served with strong black coffee. In the evenings, entertainment continues at Mnazi Moja where you can join the crowds enjoying a plethora of stalls selling toys and amusements, eateries of all kinds and music. Zanzibar nightlife during this time is at its most dynamic with spirits high and energy abundant, making Eid one of the best times to be in Zanzibar.
The estimated start and end dates of Ramadhan in 2007 are September 12 to October 11.
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By Jesp Guhle Mogensen
Why not? It’s Friday. Friends are in town. We have things to celebrate.
And if we don’t, we’ll just make something up as we go along. But where
do you go for a fun night out in Dar?A fun night out in Dar begins with the obligatory sundowner. There are many good places in Dar to watch the sunset over a cool drink. Some favourites include the rooftop bar in Kempinski, the Golden Tulip Hotel’s outdoor bar, Seacliff, Slipway and Coco Beach. All have their own charm and spectacular sunset views.
We decide to meet up at The Irish Pub in Msasani, now a compulsory fixture in any major city worldwide. The Irish Pub isn’t particularly Irish. There’s a very limited selection of whiskeys and they frequently run out of Guinness. But it has an amazing view from the terrace, overlooking the bay. As the sun sets the water on fire and dhows lazily depart for the night’s fishing adventure, people start to show up. Tables are put together to make space for everyone, old friends catch up, new friends get acquainted, and we begin to discuss our next move. Dinner.
There was a time in Dar when your culinary choices could be narrowed down to deep fried chicken and fish with rice or ugali, but not anymore. Dar has become a gastronomical jungle. Chinese, Ethiopian, French, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, Malaysian and Thairestaurants jostle with Tanzanian nyama choma restaurants, all offering a dizzying choice of dishes. After a long discussion that takes us round the globe more than a few times, we decide to go to Calabash, a restaurant at the Seacliff Hotel. Calabash isn’t charming or cheap. The dining room is too big to be intimate and too nondescript to beCalabashcozy. However, Calabash has one overwhelming advantage - the food. They serve an exotic range of international dishes. Nowhere else in Dar will serve both freshly caught red snapper and eisbein mit sauerkraut. The food is delicious, plentiful and served with style. Even an avocado salad becomes a piece of art in Calabash.
It’s still too early to go dancing, so we decide to pass the time with a game of pool in Garden Bistro. Garden Bistro is a restaurant, bar, nightclub and disco, with a cozy outdoor atmosphere, a shisha lounge, and a couple of good pool tables tucked away in the back, conveniently close to one of the bars. After a while, we move on to Q-bar, a Dar classic. Q-bar is another combo deal: guesthouse, restaurant, bar, nightclub, with a few worn pool tables and live music at weekends. The bands are loud and the place is always packed.
Dancing in Dar doesn’t begin until after midnight. We leave the
peninsular and drive downtown, to a disco with the catchy name, Much
More. With bhangra music blasting from the speakers, Much More is a
favourite amongst Dar’s Indian population . There’s a good atmosphere
and the dance floor fills up fast, with young Asian men showing off
their moves.There’s a limit to how much bhangra we can take, so after an hour we’re on our way back to the peninsular, to visit Maisha on Haile Selassie Road. Maisha is a local disco, playing a mix of international tunes and bongo flava. We arrive in time to catchthe last part of a floor show where three men and three scantily dressed women dance something that looks like traditional ngoma dance on fast forward. As soon as the show ends, there’s a rush for the dance floor and we spend the last hours of our night out dancing and hanging out in the second floor bar. They say Maisha doesn’t close until the last guests leave, but we’re not in the mood to find out. Sunrise’s is approaching fast and we decide to break up the party. The music is still pumping and the dance floor is still full, as we head for the door.
Some people are talking about an after party, others about breakfast, but I’m on autopilot for bed. We say goodbye and scatter outside, listening to the taxi drivers tout for our business. As we cross Msasani on a bumpy dirt road, the horizon slowly turns from black over navy blue to purple..
To read more about Jesp’s life in Tanzania, check out his blog: http://guhle.typepad.com/jespintanzania/
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By Nadin Hadi
It’s time to grab the rubber gloves and bin bags, and head down to the
beach for International Coastal Clean Up Day! September 16th is the 21st
International Coastal Clean Up Day and will be the largest yet. Over 118
countries are set to participate, with volunteers around the world
making a splash for trash, picking up rubbish on the shore and
underwater, to make their beaches beautiful.It’s easy to take Tanzania’s beaches for granted, from the golden sands and clear waters in the islands of the Zanzibar archipelago to the idyllic coastlines found in Tanga, Pangani and Kilwa. However, these picture postcard beaches and their fragile ecosystems are becoming increasingly under threat. Walk along the cleanest of Tanzania’s beaches and you’re likely to find rubbish strewn in the sand. Blue plastic bags, food wrappers, tin cans, soda bottles are everywhere, dumped by tourists, businesses and locals alike. Every piece of litter has a person’s face behind it.
The impact on the environment is devastating. A glass bottle takes 1 million years to decompose. Plastic water bottles last for over 450 years. Cigarette filters take between 1 and 5 years to decompose. Plastic bags take between 10 to 20 years to disintegrate. For people, the rubbish is an eyesore. Broken glass and rusty cans buried in the sand can turn a walk along the beach into a trip to the hospital.
All the rubbish dropped on the shore gets washed out to sea with the tide and damages marine life. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jelly fish, eat them and die. Fishing line and plastic becomes wrapped around fish, marine mammals and birds, causing amputation and even strangulation.
The largest of the clean ups in Tanzania is run by Scuba Do at Kendwa Beach, Zanzibar. It’s an event that brings the whole community together. Last year, they had 125 volunteers taking part, with everyone from villagers, hotel staff, Masaai shopkeepers, tourists and expats working together to collect nearly a tonne of rubbish! Tammy and Christian from Scuba Do see International Coastal Clean Up Day as a chance to set an example for other beaches in Tanzania and set the standard for the rest of the year, to show what can be done and why it’s important to keep the beaches clean. This year, they’re hoping for even more volunteers to take part in their shore and underwater clean up. Scuba divers are needed to participate in their shore dive clean up as well as volunteers to help out on the beach.
If you want to help and have time to spare on the 16th September, check out www.projectaware.org for a list of dive centres taking part in the clean up. The following organisations are lookinhhg for volunteers:
Freedom International at Kigamboni Beach in Dar es Salaam. Contact freedom_international@yahoo.com or call 07531 52411
Zanzibar Watersports at Nungwi Village in Zanzibar. Contact info@zanzibarwatersports.com or call 024 223 3615
Scuba Do at Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar. Contact do-scuba@scuba-do-zanzibar.com or call 0784 797766.
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• Choose wisely – make sure your tour operator/ provider is reputable, let them know if they are doing something potentially damaging to the environment or local people. Endorse eco-tourism organisations where possible, this will encourage other organisations to consider the benefits of eco-tourism.
• Think small! Staying in bed and breakfasts, village houses and locally owned accommodation benefits local families.
• Don't buy large shells, turtle shells, or pieces of coral from street or beach vendors. These are mostly taken from endangered reefs and marine species and buying them actively encourages the destruction of Tanzania's ocean fauna.
• Assist the local economy by purchasing local products in preference to exotic items but remember that many local handicrafts are carved from indigenous trees. Avoid hard woods such as ebony and bamba kofi as these trees take centuries to grow and are now endangered through extensive forest cutting.
• Do not litter or remove anything from the places you visit – including shells.
• Water is a precious resource; use it sparingly wherever possible.
• Never touch, chase or harass the wildlife or marine life.
• Visit the main tourist destinations but get off the tourist track too. Visit the places where the locals go. Try to learn some Kiswahili!
• Don't give presents of money to children as this encourages begging.
When in Zanzibar:
• Please remember and respect that Zanzibar is a Muslim society. Don't walk around Stone Town or other towns and villages dressed in bikinis, miniskirts or similar clothing. Women should cover their shoulders and wear trousers or skirts that reach below the knee. Men should not go shirtless. Don’t go topless on the beaches! Bikinis and swimwear are acceptable on tourist beaches, but not if there are fisherman or seaweed harvesters nearby.
• Although alcohol is freely available, drunken behaviour is considered offensive.
• Ask permission before taking pictures of people or private houses.
• Be careful walking on beaches late at night or early in the morning, don’t carry valuables or walk alone.
• Don't accept tours or transport from unlicensed 'beach boys' in Shangani Street – their services are illegal and unreliable. Only use reputable tour agencies or official government guides.
• Enjoy your time in Tanzania!
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