Zawose, Msafiri - Uhamiaji CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-SNDWCD 122
Cool and weird African electronica; well worth a hearing for folks attuned to the often surprising and interesting stuff pouring out of Africa; kind of like a Zazou/Bikaye for the 20’s...
SHORT:
“Rarely heard Tanzanian gogo music meets slick electronic production, for a borderless but powerful fusion sound. The Wagogo people are Msafiri's traditionally nomadic tribe from the center of the Tanzania, known for their musicality and made famous by Hukwe Zawose - Msafiri's father, who toured the world as a part of Peter Gabriel's Real World roster in the 80s and 90s. The tracks remain profoundly 'gogo' with traditional instruments and singing, but are infused with an organic electronic aesthetic. This is an afro-futurist journey that takes in dub, balearic, ambient and electronic vibrations alongside Zawose's hypnotic playing and emotive, plaintive vocals.”
LONG:
“Msafiri Zawose is a Tanzanian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and
bandleader. He is a pioneer of Gogo-fusion music that takes the x
traditional folk style of Gogo and weds it to modern rhythms and
production styles. His last name is synonymous with the Tanzanian
Gogo tradition.
Born in 1982 the fifth child of Dr. Hukwe Zawose (the 20th century
Gogo giant whose own pioneering work led to global recognition,
tours, won the WOMAD Festival, and led to a collaboration with
Michael Brook on Assembly), his family heritage dictated he be
surrounded by musicians. By 13 he had already mastered the Gogo
instruments including the zeze, ngoma, ndono, flute, kalimba, and
ilimba, and he was also composing. He picked up the marimba at that
age as well. By 15 he had already toured his nation and much of the
African continent, and by 18 he'd traveled to Japan. Zawose began
recording only after his father passed in 2003. Vowing to continue the family legacy, he issued his debut self-titled album of traditional Gogo a year later. The album registered on Tanzania's charts and prompted him to begin traveling with his own ensemble. He followed with the full-length aloum Dawale Chouya in 2007. Through 2011, Zawose continued making traditional Gogo, but in late 2012, he began fusing his unique style with modern electro-acoustic sensibilities (including jazz and Latin piano and loops) but with the Gogo instrumentation and singing always at the forefront, as attested by 2013's Mbotela and 2014's Tanganyika.
2016's Tija, with its large choruses, trance-like guitars, and piano montunos joined with Gogo melodies in a fusion him to the attention of Miles Cleret’s Soundway label. He worked with the non-profit Santuri East Africa initiative, a non-profit cultural NGO
that strives to create fresh, dynamic, new music with a strong regional identity; the organization facilitates collaborations between musicians, DJs, and electronic music producers with the purpose of supporting and nurturing a spirit of artistic adventurousness, bridging the gaps between traditional artists, instruments, rhythms, cultures, and the cutting edge of the global underground music scene throughout east Africa.
In August 2016, Santuri traveled to Bagamoyo on the Tanzanian
coast with SoundThread's Sam Jones, known for his celebrated work
with Orlando Julius, Mugwsia International, and Sarabi. Jones and
Zawose worked sun-up to sundown for two weeks creating the
album's foundation. In June of 2017, the single "Nzala Urugu" was
offered to streaming services and drew excited critical notice. It was followed a month later by the even more rapturously electronic "Pole Pole,” and the album Uhamiaji in August.” ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
- LabelSoundway
- UPC5056032310384