With 2015 resolutions still being made, your may as well include music and arts festival as things to do and see this year. Our correspondent ABDI RASHID JIBRIL offers a quick review from the region.

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SAUTI ZA BUSARA

Zanzibar, February

Held every mid February on the island of Zanzibar, Sauti za Busara has to be as one of the most charming music festivals in the world.

Zanzibar with its rich history, cultures, and scenic beauty serves as a perfect backdrop for a music festival that has attracted some of the gems of African music while exposing audiences to Tanzanian and East African music.

Beginning with a music and dance procession through Stone Town, the event takes place over four days with concerts taking place at the Old Fort in Stonetown in the evenings (saving audiences from the punishing sun and humidity of the island).

A festival pass costs $40 for East African residents, making Sauti za Busara a real deal. Besides musical offerings, there is craft and food available on the festival grounds, with a special sampling of seafood on offer at the Forodhani Gardens that front the ocean just outside the festival grounds. For those who care for “finer” cuisine, there are several boutique hotels and restaurants that can meet your needs.

Booking hotels and guest houses early is recommended as Stone Town fills up during the festival. For those on a budget or who have more time than money, travel to Zanzibar can be undertaken via a bus to Dar es Salaam and a ferry to the island.

Others may choose to take a shuttle or bus to Arusha and utilise the budget airline FastJet to Dar then use the ferry. You can also get to the island by flying directly from Nairobi on Kenya Airways, Precision Air or Fly540, but booking early is imperative as prices for round trip travel can reach upto $450.

A final option is catching a bus or flight on JamboJet from Nairobi to Mombasa and booking a flight on Fly540 from Mombasa, shaving $100 off the cost of a Nairobi leg on Fly540. Visit the festival website for more information on who is booked to perform this year and make sure to bring your dancing shoes.

HARARE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

Harare, Zimbabwe, Late April to first week of May

For those looking for more than a music festival, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) is a must you. Held on the last weekend of April through to the first week of May every year, this six-day festival is for those who want to sample diverse art forms.

From visual arts and design gallery offerings to the best of African theatre; chamber music and live comedy, multistage concerts of live music to dance and poetry; children’s stage to craft marketplaces and arts workshops, HIFA cannot be beat.

The festival programme is a thick 36 pages full of artist features, schedules, venue information and all you need to know about HIFA.

The cream of Zimbabwe’s artists as well as performers from all over the continent and the world showcase their art forms at this premier cosmopolitan art event in Zimbabwe. East Africa’s event organisers can learn a lot from the organisation, breadth and diversity of what the HIFA folks pull off every year.

The festival opening show is usually the most anticipated event every year as the festival theme is usually articulated in a collaborative performance using dance, music, spoken word and visual effects.

As one of Zimbabwe’s biggest free speech zones, HIFA’s local audiences are usually keyed up, anticipating the politically tinged performance that inaugurate each year’s festival.

Free concerts also take place on various stages throughout the city centre for residents who cannot afford the main festival entry fee. As far as ticket prices go, the lowest priced ticket for each day of live music at the Harare Gardens goes for $6 daily. For other venues and events, audiences can select shows from the diverse festival programme with tickets ranging from $6 to $20 per event.

KIGALIUP FESTIVAL

Kigali, Rwanda, July

A warm alternative to the cold Nairobi nights of July, Kigali is the setting for a two-day festival that features some of the best music the Great Lakes Region has to offer.

The city of Kigali is the main aesthetic treat of the festival with its winding roads and beautiful hilly neighbourhoods. The hot chilli paste/oil of Rwanda locally known as Akabanga will fire any chilli lovers’ taste buds and the Kigali nights promise some of the best “people-watching” in East Africa.

Its easy to see why people say that Rwanda has some of the most beautiful women in Africa. The festival held at the city’s main stadium is intimate in audience numbers and friendly to all festival goers whether visitor or local and one of the food stalls featured the best tacos (a Mexican snack) I’ve eaten in East Africa, washed down with cold beers served from the festival’s beer garden.

Neo’s Coffee Shop is a great spot to take in an afternoon respite after visiting some of the craft markets, art galleries and museums in Kigali. Various hotel options can be found in Kigali.

The best deal for travelling to the festival is Rwandair as Kenya Airways is over $100 more expensive. Travel overland is possible but will take several days unless you are already doing an East Africa road trip.

Whatever the case, including KigaliUp Festival, on your itinerary is a must for those wanting to experience the diversity of East African music. For those who will attend this year’s festival get ready to discard your warm clothes as soon as you get on that flight because warm Kigali nights await you.

MEKATILILI FESTIVAL

Malindi, Kenya, August

For the intrepid festival lovers who have flexible schedules the festival in Kilifi County at the Kenyan coast is a treasure.

Held over four days in early/mid August, the festival celebrates indigenous cultural traditions of the Mijikenda people and a Giriama colonial-era heroine Mekatilili wa Menza who was among the first leaders to organise resistance against the forced labour/slavery practices of the British colonial project in Kenya in the early 1910s.

Part pilgrimage and part festival, the event starts with a musical procession through the streets of Malindi town from the Malindi District Cultural Association headquarters through the town throughout the afternoon.

On the first night, the celebration takes place at the beach of the Marine Park with a cacophony of drums, trumpets, dance and song. The next day the festivities continue at the Marine Park with a riot of colours from traditional and fusion dance regalia against a stunning backdrop of white sand and turquoise waters (a photographer's wet dream).

The dances and rhythms of the Mijikenda are varied and rich, while the mnazi (palm wine) helps loosen the hips of all festival goers who partake. Though there is a political element to the event that means speeches from politicos and local leaders, the heart of the event is the performances, historical memory evoked and lived culture shared.

Last year, a plaque celebrating Mekatalili’s legacy was unveiled at the town’s Uhuru Gardens. Festival goers also get to visit the Magarini Cultural Centre, an hour north of Malindi in the village of Bungale where the climax of the pilgrimage takes place at the Mekatilili we Menza Cultural Centre.

The centre serves as the resting ground of the remains of the heroine. Revellers camp at the centre under the stars in a large field dotted with campfires with festival goers sharing fresh palm wine, food and conversations. The hospitality of the Mijikenda hosts and their generosity of spirit is what makes this gathering special. For those opting for more comfort and luxury, hospitality options can be found in Malindi town.

JOY OF JAZZ

Johannesburg, South Africa, September

Although less famous than the Capetown International Jazz Festival, Joy of Jazz is just beginning to come into its own. Last year it featured jazz luminaries from Diane Reeves, Gregory Porter and, Delfeayo Marsalis to South Africa’s own Faye Faku, Jonas Gwangwa and many more.

After years of hosting the festival in Newtown in the centre city, it also moved to the corporate heart of South Africa, Sandton City at the Sandton Convention Centre.

I heard some complaints from jazz lovers who missed the aesthetic of being in Jozi city centre (another name for the City of Gold), but once Billy Ocean and the other artists swung into action, all seemed forgotten as the rhythm and melodies swept all along.

Though not known as a tourist mecca, Johannesburg has a lot to share from its funky neighbourhoods such as Melville, to the sprawling township of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. For those who love to shop, Sandton City Mall and Rosebank Malls are always an attraction.

Visa applications are necessary for Kenyan, Rwandan and Ugandan travellers and it takes six working days to process so plan ahead.

Special fares to Johannesburg can be found at South African Airways and Rwandair is another alternative for budget travellers. Numerous backpacker lodges, brand hotels, and boutique guesthouses offer hospitality for all budgets.

Getting around Johannesburg can be pricey with metered cabs costing over $20 a ride, but during the day a combination of local taxi (shared public transport), the Rea Vaya bus lines and Gau Train can suffice but as in any mega sprawling city, it takes a bit of patience to figure out.

Thus for the weekend traveller, a metered taxi is your best bet otherwise the Red Bus Sightseeing double decker buses maybe an option to catch a small glimpse of Jo’burg. Alternatively, imposing on family, friends or colleagues who live in Jo’burg could be your best option.

MILEGE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Entebbe, Uganda, November

Set in the picturesque grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, the Milege World Music Festival gives you an idea why Uganda is named the Pearl of Africa.

Nestled on the shore of Lake Victoria, Entebbe is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Kampala. Swimming in the largest lake in Africa and relaxing in the various lakeside restaurants and bars offer a feeling of beach life in the middle of the continent.

Last year was the festival’s second edition, and the first at this location. Besides live band performances, DJs entertain both nights of the festival with the after party moving to the lakeside campground restaurant of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens. Camping is an option along with numerous hotels in all price ranges.

The best form of local transport is the motorcycle taxis (boda boda) while the public van transport is the most inexpensive way to travel to Kampala (40km away). Travel from Kenya and Tanzania to Uganda is via flights to Entebbe, or overland by bus.

A word of caution; You will be delayed at the border and put through “special screening” especially if your travel documents bear names that suggest you are Muslim.

The profiling of Muslims is I suppose Uganda’s “vigilance” against “terrorists” but in my opinion, it is alienating law-abiding Muslims and bad publicity for the Pearl of Africa.

The security hassles notwithstanding, I look forward to resting and recharging on the banks of Lake Victoria listening to the song birds at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens and indulging in the rich musical bounty that is the Milege World Music Festival.

For all festival junkies, 2015 promises more adventures.