National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

On Saturday, December 16, Zanzibar's unique Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) celebrated the opening of it's first branch school in Mahonda village, 25 km north of the capitol Stone Town, according to a press statement released by the Academy. The DCMA was founded in 2001 in Stone Town as a non-profit, non-governmental school dedicated to the preservation of traditional Swahili music, with particular emphasis on the taarab, beni and kidumbak styles. The opening of the Mahonda branch is part of the DCMA's Village outreach program.

Mahonda has a traditional Tarab group called "KIKI—Kizazi Kipya" who first approached DCMA in 2003 to ask for assistance in training and to help with ressources for their group, and the organization responded with several maste rclasses in voice, violin, percussion, keyboard and accordion for these musicians over the past three years. The cooperation with Mahonda developed into a lasting friendship and after KIKI secured their club house for the use of a small academy, and DCMA had the green light to open their first branch. With the help of UNESCO the house was renovated and in the coming months local musicians will be trained as teachers for Mahonda. Through the branch in Mahonda DCMA plans to be able to reach many more young people who do not have ready access to town.

"With the generous help of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Agriculture, the use of the KIKI club house in Mahonda has been secured for the future," says the DCMA press notice. "With the help of UNESCO it has been restored. With the help of the musicians and many supportive individuals it will become the musical center of Mahonda and the surrounding villages.

The DCMA Village program was launched in the year 2004 and is sponsored by Ford Foundation and by UNESCO. So far, two workshops have taken place in Pemba and four workshops in Mahonda. Various members of different groups have participated in instrumental training and students have travelled from Pemba and Mahonda to attend classes at DCMA with the help of special scholarships.