Sounds of Wisdom - Sauti za Busara

Lets just say that this weekend was spent in experiment and committed to observation. This post is dedicated simply to one amazing instance in my life.  But first off, let me just say thank you to the random vicarious readers of my blog, because without you I would not have a true reason to share. I did not expect my blogs to be seen in other foreign countries, but hey, if you like it, I am all for it. 

Part 1

Now, lets get on with it... three words:  Sauti za Busara...

This means voice of wisdom in Swahili, and let me tell you with a voice of wisdom. It is this ginormous international music festival that is so outrageously energetic and smoky you might actually feel like you stepped into an 80's rock concert. Now, concerts aren't for everyone.  I get that, but I have to say that one day of listening to various forms of music, anywhere from African tribal or techno, to Latin American, to rock, to Indian sounds, you get a better appreciation of music and dancing...oh boy did I dance! 

But here let me start at the beginning...

So, before this festival I had never seen so many different types of people in my life. There were people from all over the world on this small island in Tanzania. It's a time when every white person in African can strut their "mzungu swag" because now, you aren't so few anymore. Not only that, you have your ex hippies with their peace necklaces and beads in their hair and their parachute pants, to your reggae Bob Marley look-alikes, to your conservative muslim women, to your European hipster, to your high school jock, to your exotic, sexy, mysterious beauties, to your average American (who can't be so average if they are in Zanzibar), to your Asian tourists, to your curiously small, strong looking Indians, to your odd, half-naked beer-bellied redneck... I dont think redneck may be the proper term... I am telling you this festival attracts people of all shapes, sizes, looks, piercings, colors, and more. *note that it's a great place for people watching, but the challenge is to refrain from judging. You're at an INTERNATIONAL festival* 

One thing that I have noticed about going to something like this--girls, do NOT do this (but lets be real with each other, we do this a lot)-- is that you have a lot of different types of beauty to compare yourself to in the world. You have SO much to compare yourself to that it is almost so unrealistic to compare yourself because it isn't even the same kind of beauty. The moment you get an opportunity to go to a foreign country (I am going to have to be biased and say Africa, because I have seen the most diversity here) and go to a music festival, you will begin to see a flock of different types of beauty in the world that you have never seen before. 

Its also a wonderful time to meet people...dear lord, I have met literally the coolest people in Africa, and that is saying a lot about the kind of people Africa attracts. Recently, I have met Joao, a young Brazilian man who I nor anybody else other than those who speak Portuguese will ever be able to pronounce his name correctly, so we call him Alex or preferably J-money, and who is on a month-and-a-half long vacation to see Tanzania. We met some random New Yorker named David who works for World Bank...pretty cool. I have met more people from the Boren group. I have met an Indian Tanzanian film maker name Deepesh, who was making a documentary about the festival and has also been on the staff for Bollywood, which is a huge thing here in Africa (you'd better believe I am going to make my appearance in that documentary). 

I have met this really lax Catholic Zanzibarian named Elvis who has the funniest sense of humor of all Africans put together. He also works as a guide for the slave market memorial, so if you come here within the next year, ask for Elvis! Best of all, I have met Old John (Young John is part of a study abroad group who is also his own awesome character and greatly resembles Jasper from Twilight... haha yes, John if you read this one day this is my first impression of you). 

Guanajuato

Now, let me tell you about old John because he deserves a whole paragraph of his own. Old John is a retired man in his 70s, who's lived his whole life in Austin, Texas,  and has literally been all over the world. I am not sure what he did, but he has been to 40 US states, every state in central america, every country in eastern asia, a few countries in europe, and now, countries in Africa. Today, he is still going strong, but during the festival, I got to listen to old stories about John's travels, and I was in complete awe. Over the years, John has learned to get lost... and that is why he has found himself traveling to so many places and loving the roads less traveled... heck a few days ago he white water rafted the Nile. Today, he has officially convinced me to travel to his lovely secret retirement city in Mexico, which he fell in love with eight years ago. After traveling for almost 50 years, he said, "I went there, and I just knew that it was the paradise I had been looking for all my life."  He joined so many other characters there, all of whom flocked to this secret city that has already captured my heart.  I am intent on going there one day to see for myself this beauty that Old John raved enthusiastically about for hours. I am sure by now you all are wondering where...the name is Guanajuato, the university town in the exact center of Mexico, tucked into a canyon with underground traffic and beautiful buildings that John described as "it feels like you're in Italy."

Guanajuato

So many people in so little time, but let me tell you every single one of them made an imprint on my life as I spent time around them.  Of course, Michael, Alex, Hannah, Grant, Ruthie, Andrea, and Kristin were there, and they also helped me have the time of my life. We danced from 5:00 p.m., untill one in the morning without a care in the world (I suppose I have been in a dancing mood lately), and the best part is the music was still going even after we left, both in the concert and in our hearts (as cliche as that sounds).

Sauti za Busara takes place outside in this old historical fort that is totally awesome.  Google image "old fort", "zanzibar" and picture hundreds of people standing in the area, with vendors of all kinds, and a gigantic stage with African, reggae sounding music blaring from 30 speakers. The only downside is you have Africans and Europeans who are super into smoking, so you get that extra addition of secondhand smoking, while you attend. We heard so many different types of music, seeing so many different types of instruments I have never even seen, or heard of before.  My favorite act was 
the ethnically diverse group called the Nile Project. Look them up on itunes because it will give you a sense of how diverse their music is. Yes, I am also aware that you can't understand the lyrics, but if you are about culture awareness, or enjoy foreign music, look them up. The reason it's diverse is that each person comes from different African cultural backgrounds. One comes from Sudan, another from Egypt, another from Burundi, another from Ethiopia, another from Uganda.  Yes, all these countries are from Africa, but people don't realize even how different culture is from African state to African state, because even dancing is different. 

Gosh...I wish there was a way to better explain this festival, but the trick is to just be there. However, even by the end of the night, good things come to a close (except for the Scottish guitar players who were still drinking margaritas and playing guitar at 8 in the morning the next day). The question remains, would I go back to this awesome experience?  Yes, I totally would, but I will say that things like that night only happen once. Some people may disagree, but 

Ampitheatre

a night just like that one can never be relived. I have learned this as I have gotten older. No, it doesn't mean the next experience won't be a good one, it just means that it won't be the experience you remember because for me, it is about the people I am with and the relationships I have made that made it so worthwhile. So, I know as your average human being sometimes we get so caught up in the past. We want so badly to relive all the wonderful memories over and over again if we could. We want to relive the most fun birthday party we've ever had, relive the most fun high school dance we've ever been to, relive the best concert, even relive our first kisses, favorite loves, or most memorable acts, and I hate to burst a bubble, but we can never go back. We can never relive those moments again no matter how hard we try, but that is what is so wonderful about them. I would love to come back and relive the first time I went to Sauti za Busara, because of the people I have met, the time in my life I am in, and the wonderful ability to just dance and appreciate the world we are in. Then again, a moment like that is just simply meant to keep us chasing after more memorable occurrences very similar to them.

So, now, even when it's so memorable, the key is not forgetting even the slightest detail about what happened, because from this I have made more friends that I would be honored to be able to see again one day...

To be continued...