Lovers of Sauti za Busara; East Africa's most popular international music festival, will not have the opportunity to bask in Zanzibar next February due to lack of funding.

The festival, whose name means "sounds of wisdom", is held every February has always attracted thousands of international visitors to the Tanzanian island for the past 12 years.

Festival promoter Yusuf Mahmoud said the target was to raise $200,000 (£130,000) before the dates for 2016 edition would be announced.

But so far only $42,000 has been raised, he said

Selling tickets for Sauti za Busara was never a problem, he added, "but these only cover 30% of festival costs".

The festival has always served as an opportunity for local artists to meet and interact with their professionals counterparts from the rest of the world.

Cancelling it will be bad news for local businesses. Hotels and restaurants are normally filled to capacity, providing jobs for the local people.

After the festival, visiting artists often stay behind to promote their music and learn Swahili, he adds.