Why Zuchu has been banned from perfoming in Zanzibar
The Zanzibar Arts, Census, Film, and Cultural Council (BASSFU) has taken decisive action against Wasafi’s signee, Zuhura Othman Soud better known by her stage name Zuchu, imposing a six-month suspension from all artistic activities in Zanzibar.
This stern decision follows Zuchu’s controversial performance at the Fullmoon Kendwa Night show on February 24, 2024, which sparked concerns among residents after videos of the performance circulated widely online.
BASSFU, entrusted with safeguarding the cultural heritage of the island, conducted a thorough investigation and determined that Zuchu’s performance deviated from the cultural norms of Zanzibar.
Omar Abdalla Adam, the executive secretary of BASSFU, underscored the council’s commitment to preserving Zanzibar’s cultural identity.
“The council has the responsibility to oversee the customs, traditions, and culture of Zanzibar. Therefore, we are officially suspending Zuchu from engaging in any artistic activities in Zanzibar for six months, starting from today, March 5, 2024,” stated Abdalla Adam.
Further scrutiny revealed that Zuchu had failed to register with BASSFU and lacked the requisite permits to perform in Zanzibar.
Consequently, she has been fined Sh1 million and is mandated to issue a written apology, accompanied by a pledge to adhere to cultural norms in future performances.
Zuchu’s record label, WCB, issued a formal apology on their official Instagram page in response to the disciplinary action taken by BASSFU.
In her defense, Zuchu clarified that her intentions were solely aimed at providing entertainment and were not intended to disrespect the culture or people of Zanzibar.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the words I used in the slogan that caused alarm at the recent Full Moon Party – Kendwa Beach Zanzibar. I acknowledge that these words have caused confusion for many of you and have had a negative impact on my community and fans as a whole.”
She expressed remorse for any distress caused by her actions and pledged to collaborate with her team to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
“My intention was to bring good entertainment and joy to all my fans. It is not my aim to mislead, undermine values, or cause distress to anyone.
Today, I commit to working with my team to ensure that incidents like these do not occur in future events. I apologize to the community and the Council of Arts (BASATA), who are my guardians. I apologize once again,” Zuchu said.
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