Popular Tanzanian singer Zuchu has apologised after authorities in Zanzibar suspended her from all artistic activities on the archipelago for six months over a performance they deemed inappropriate.
Zuchu’s performance on Zanzibar’s Kendwa island last month featured sexually explicit language and gestures.
The Zanzibar Arts, Census, Film and Cultural on Tuesday said that the performance went against the islands’ customs, traditions and culture.
It also asked Zuchu to submit a written apology.
In a video shared to her Instagram late on Tuesday, the musician apologised for any offence caused by her performance.
“The goal was to entertain and not to mislead,” she said.
Zuchu, real name Zuhura Othman Soud, is one of the most successful musicians in East Africa.
The 30-year-old is the first female musician in East Africa to gain one million YouTube subscribers, which she achieved in a year.
She is also the first female musician in East Africa and only the fifth female artist on the continent to surpass 500 million YouTube views, according to her label WCB Wasafi.