skills to more remote locations. This is especially true for those areas where small traditional instrument groups continue to exist and struggle to survive. Mahonda, a small village about 25 km outside of Stone Town, is a branch of the Dhow Countries Music Academy. DCMA activities in Mahonda are targeted to people who already have some skills in music, enabling them to pass on their knowledge to others on a continuous basis. Successful students are invited to study full-time at DCMA in Stonetown, which leads to certificates and diploma qualifications. Bands of DCMA DCMA bands, students and teachers regularly visit Zanzibar and enrich the cultural life of Zanzibar through concerts and performances in clubs and restaurants, e.g. with Taarab and Afro Kabisa concerts, so live Afro-fusion music with jazz, funk, afrobeat and bongo-flava. In addition, DCMA regularly organizes special concerts of international guest musicians and public Ngoma workshops. Some bands that have emerged from DCMA have gained international acclaim far beyond Zanzibar: The Taarab / Kidumbak Ensemble represents the traditional music of the western Indian Ocean, the instrumental and vocal styles of this fusion of Arabic and African music. Mapanya Band, founded in 2016, is one of the most promising young groups in Zanzibar and presents a unique blend of Afro-Fusion, Hip-Hop and Reggae. Siti and the Band, founded in 2015, as the singer and oud player Siti Amina, Rahma Ameir (violin) and Gora Mohammed (Qanun) decided to dedicate their roots to the Taarab music with their personal musical influences merge. Mcharuko is present in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam since 2017, with a cocktail of African popular music styles directed by Christopher Anthony (jazz flute), with guitar, drums and vocals. The Afro Jazz Group, a powerful blend of African, Arabic and Western styles. As well as the DCMA Ngoma Group, led by Zanzibar drummer legend Mzee Kheri. International performances Since DCMA has been founded, several ensembles have presented themselves at festivals in Tanzania, other African countries and other parts of the world, for example, every year DCMA's groups are performing at Sauti za Busara Festival in Zanzibar; in 2005 DCMA taarab group performed at the Mela Festival in France, in 2015 DCMA's taarab ensemble performed at the Brave Festival in Wroclaw, Poland, at the Africa Festival in Würzburg, Germany, in 2016 at Orient Festival Tallinn, Estonia to mention just a few of their international performances. References Further reading Cornelia