Leveraging Taarab Music to Support Maternal and Newborn Health in Zanzibar
Maternal and newborn health advocacy must speak through the cultures and communities it seeks to serve. In Zanzibar, Taarab music is a powerful cultural platform that brings people together across generations, preserves local identity, and creates space for public dialogue. For mothers, newborns, and families facing urgent health needs, that visibility can help turn awareness into resources, equipment, and stronger care across maternal and child health.
Taarab for Newborns is DMF's cultural awareness and fundraising campaign that uses Taarab music to support maternal and newborn health and strengthen neonatal care in Zanzibar. The campaign brings together artists, public leaders, partners, and communities through a cultural concert that connects local music with maternal and child health advocacy. Before each edition, participating Taarab artists undergo capacity building sessions to understand the importance of the cause they are stepping onto the stage for, and also join site visits to hospitals, where they see firsthand the realities facing mothers and newborns.
The campaign used the influence of respected Taarab artists to raise visibility for the challenges facing mothers, newborns, and the hospitals that care for them. The most recent edition featured leading artists including Leyla Rashid, Khadija Kopa, Sabaha Muchacho, and Zanzibar One, using music and cultural storytelling to bring maternal and newborn health and survival into public conversation.
In its most recent edition, Taarab for Newborns was held at Hotel Verde in Zanzibar, and attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Zanzibar, H.E. Mgeni Hassan. The edition raised $15,000 to support maternal and newborn care and fund medical equipment for neonatal care. The event was also livestreamed through Azam Sinema Zetu, allowing the message to reach audiences beyond the venue and expanding public engagement around newborn survival in Zanzibar.
Through Taarab for Newborns, DMF used culture as a bridge between public awareness and practical health system support. By placing maternal and newborn health within a familiar and celebrated musical tradition, the campaign made newborn survival a shared community concern rather than a hospital issue alone.
To partner with us or support future editions, please email us at partnerships@dorismollelfoundation.org.