At cash strapped GondwanaTowers we have the perfect solution for anyone who can't afford the tickets to the Sauti sa Busara Festival. Air Mail's latest budget release, Zanzibar - Savours of Spice lets you escape the European winter blues and be instantly transported to warmth and sunshine.
Where Africa meets Arabia and India, I can nearly smell the spices as I lie on the decks of the Dhow listening to a mosaic of string orchestra's, polyphonic singing, indian percussion and vibrant rhythms. There's even a steel band cropping up on 'Waridi Lisilomiba'.
As with all the Air Mail budget editions, there's no information on the particular tracks or indeed the artists. Its music for music sake, at an affordable price and a perfect introduction to the traditional music of the island, of which an old Arab proverb says, "When someone plays the nay in Zanzibar, as far as the great lakes Africa dances".
Savours of Spice
