Boza! The Mediterranean Resounds

A festival that makes the Mediterranean resonate

On the island of Lampedusa, in the municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa (Province of Agrigento, Sicily), the Boza! The Mediterranean Resounds festival brings music into the streets, schools, libraries, and the harbor. This is no ordinary festival: it was born in the heart of a frontier, a place where thousands of people arrive every year in search of safety, and it chooses community music as a universal language of encounter.

The meaning of 'Boza'

The word Boza often echoes along the routes taken by migrants; in many West African languages, it means 'I made it', 'I crossed the border'. It is a cry of victory and liberation. Naming the festival this way means flipping the narrative of the frontier and restoring dignity, voice, and celebration to an island too often defined only by emergencies.

Who organizes it

The festival is promoted by Mediterranean Hope, the refugee and migrant program of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), in collaboration with the international music therapy project Music&Resilience and various local Lampedusa organizations. The initiative is part of the Week of Action Against Racism, the national campaign promoted by UNAR (National Office Against Racial Discrimination) that enlivens all of Italy around March 21st each year.

What to expect

• Music and music therapy workshops open to children, adults, the elderly, migrants, and asylum seekers
• Community choirs and singing circles that blend voices and instruments from different cultures
• Wandering serenades and roving songs through the town's streets
• Musical readings in the library, photography workshops, and podcasting sessions with the island's schools
• A grand closing party in Piazza Castello that brings the whole community together

Why it's worth it

Boza! is a profound experience rather than just a concert lineup: participants discover a different side of Lampedusa, one built on hospitality, creativity, and relationships. On an island that serves as a symbol of the Mediterranean, music becomes the tool for building a more inclusive society and for remembering that behind every route, there is a person, a story, and often, a voice that sings.