The Zawose Queens
The Zawose Queens | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Zawose Queens at WOMAD UK, 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Bagamoyo, Tanzania |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Labels | Real World Records |
| Members |
|
| Website | thezawosequeens |
The Zawose Queens are band from Bagamoyo, Tanzania, comprising relatives Pendo and Leah Zawose. Their music incorporates traditional Wagogo styles and electronic production.[1] The Zawose Queens' debut album Maisha was released in 2024.
History
[edit]Pendo Zawose is the daughter of Hukwe Zawose, an internationally known musician who released three albums on Real World Records. Hukwe Zawose had seven wives and seventeen children; Pendo started performing with the family band at 14, but as a woman was not permitted to sing lead vocals.[1][2] After Hukwe Zawose's death in 2003, Pendo began to lead the family band The Zawose Family, and they released the album Small Things Fall from the Baobab Tree in 2007.[2] Leah Zawose is Pendo's niece and Hukwe's granddaughter.[2]
Leah and Pendo Zawose began writing music together after performing at Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar in 2019.[3] The Zawose Queens' debut album Maisha was released on 7 June 2024 on Real World Records.[4] The four-piece Wamwiduka Band from northern Tanzania feature on the album.[3]
Discography
[edit]- Albums
- Maisha (2024, Real World Records)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Johny Lamb (2024-06-07), "The Zawose Queens – Maisha", The Quietus, retrieved 2024-12-22
- ^ a b c Nigel Williamson, "The Queens Are Coming", Songlines, no. 199 (July 2024), pp. 30–31, ISSN 1464-8113, retrieved 2024-12-19
- ^ a b David Honigmann (2024-07-21), "The Zawose Queens — Tanzanian musical dynasty on a European tour", The Financial Times, retrieved 2024-12-19
- ^
Maisha reviews:
- David Hutcheon, "Maisha (review)", Mojo, no. 368 (July 2024), p. 86
- Neil Spencer (2024-06-08), "The Zawose Queens: Maisha review – vocal power and family stories", The Observer, retrieved 2024-12-19
- Jeremy Allen, "Maisha (review)", Record Collector, no. 561 (September 2024), p. 133
- Alexandra Petropoulos, "Maisha (review)", Songlines, no. 199 (July 2024), p. 47, ISSN 1464-8113, retrieved 2024-12-19
- Nigel Williamson, "Maisha (review)", Uncut, no. 327 (July 2024), p. 41