Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Founded in 1965 in the wake of independence, the Culture Musical Club Taarab Orchestra (CMCZ) is one of the oldest Taarab orchestras in Zanzibar. Generations of musicians have played in it. CMCZ specialises in traditional Taarab music, featuring female solo singers and male instrumentalists.
Taarab is a fascinating combination of many musical styles: predominantly African beats, with Egyptian, Indian and even Cuban influences. This rich global influence on a single genre owes to Zanzibar’s history as an important commerce hub. The Dhow Countries Musical Academy calls this the ‘dhow effect’. The dhow is a traditional sailing vessel that originated in the Middle East and spread over the Indian Ocean region. The ‘Dhow countries’ are all the countries that sailed to Zanzibar throughout history, blowing onto the island, leaving their instruments, their styles and blending them with what was already on the island. The result of this confluence is the unique sound of Taarab. Taarab roughly translates in Arabic as ‘having joy with music’.
At the time of recording, the orchestra had 45 members, though they usually perform with about 25.
During our visit, we saw fifteen musicians create a rich sound with:
- Four violins
- One oud
- One bass
- One qanun
-One accordion
-Two drums
-One tambourine
Founded in 1965 in the wake of independence, the Culture Musical Club Taarab Orchestra (CMCZ) is one of the oldest Taarab orchestras in Zanzibar. Generations of musicians have played in it. CMCZ specialises in traditional Taarab music, featuring female solo singers and male instrumentalists.
Taarab is a fascinating combination of many musical styles: predominantly African beats, with Egyptian, Indian and even Cuban influences. This rich global influence on a single genre owes to Zanzibar’s history as an important commerce hub. The Dhow Countries Musical Academy calls this the ‘dhow effect’. The dhow is a traditional sailing vessel that originated in the Middle East and spread over the Indian Ocean region. The ‘Dhow countries’ are all the countries that sailed to Zanzibar throughout history, blowing onto the island, leaving their instruments, their styles and blending them with what was already on the island. The result of this confluence is the unique sound of Taarab. Taarab roughly translates in Arabic as ‘having joy with music’.
At the time of recording, the orchestra had 45 members, though they usually perform with about 25.
During our visit, we saw fifteen musicians create a rich sound with:
- Four violins
- One oud
- One bass
- One qanun
-One accordion
-Two drums
-One tambourine
