The Zawose Queens new album Maisha is a seamless blend of the traditional and the modern. The ‘Queens are Pendo and Leah Zawose who can trace their musical heritage back to Dr Hukwe Zawose, Pendo’s father. Leah’s grandfather, who commanded a 5-octave range, released three albums on Real World Records and had seven wives and 17 children. Tradition stood in the way of women being front and centre as they were only permitted to sing backing vocals and play muheme drums. However, after years of male Zawoses being in the spotlight serendipity played a hand in the ‘Queens story. Aziza Ongala, daughter of iconic Tanzanian guitarist/singer Remmy Ongala, was working as an arts manager on a British Council-funded project connecting Tanzanian and British artists and says “when I saw Leah and Pendo singing and playing I got goosebumps. I brought them into the project”. UK producers Oli Barton-Wood (Jordan Rakei, Obongjayar, Nilufer Yanya) and Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist, Onipa) were also brought in and went to East Africa to record the Zawoses for what became this album.
The recording process allowed Leah and Pendo an opportunity to write their own material. They also embraced collaboration with Oli and Tom who brought a western influence to the production without overloading the album and losing the purity of how amazing the Queens’ music is. Most things were recorded live (‘Lule Lule’ and ‘Kusekala Kwa Nyungu’ on a beach and ‘Fahari Yetu’ and on a Zanzibari hotel rooftop) with instruments such as chizeze fiddle, illimba thumb piano, and ngoma drums, with some overdubbing, as on the title track, with drums, synths and 808 Bass.
The beauty of Maisha is that it feels like you have chanced upon a family party and been invited in. Whether recorded together or overdubbed, everything feels perfectly placed and live. Snippets of real life are woven into the tracks (check out the laughter and an amazing vocal ululation at the end of ‘Fahari Yetu’) and the arrangements sparkle with great touches, like the Zawose’s bubbling thumb piano gently matched with synth arpeggios. That feel of a babbling river perfectly highlights the difference between the western stomp and the African bounce.
But however amazing the production and arrangements are, they are all in support of these amazing women. Pendo and Leah Zawose are the shining stars as they deliver soaring tunes, close harmonies that remain in lockstep no matter how vocally dexterous they are and the glorious call and response on ‘Mapendo’. The title track ‘Maisha’ tells of “the daily fight for a better life” and listening to this album it’s impossible not to feel invigorated and uplifted. I’ll leave the last word to the Zawose Queens, “We wanted to blend the traditional and modern, to present our heritage to the world, and we have. We are setting an example for other women artists in East Africa to follow.”
Maisha is released through Real World Records
Zawose Queens socials: Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube
Review by Paul F Cook
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