People & Society
Taarab musicians in Zanzibar help to protect their music
From October 12 to 19, 2026, musicians and officials in Zanzibar, Tanzania, worked together on an inventory of taarab music.
From October 12 to October 19, 2026, musicians and officials in Zanzibar worked together to record information about taarab music. Their work was an inventory, a careful description of a living tradition that helps people to protect it. UNESCO supported the work with a partner foundation and shared the news on October 19.
Zanzibar is a group of islands that are part of Tanzania, in East Africa. Taarab is an important part of the islands' cultural identity and social life. Its songs mix music and poetry, and they reflect the many cultures that have shaped the Swahili coast. Taarab is often called Swahili wedding music, and musicians play at celebrations that can last several days. The songs are also used to tell stories, comment on society and pass on values across generations.
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A careful list or description of things; here, a detailed record of a living tradition, made so that people can protect it.
The plan is to add taarab to Tanzania's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage.