The Zawose Queens

The Zawose Queens are a musical duo from Bagamoya, Tanzania, consisting of Pendo and Leah Zawose. They are the first ever women from the famous Zawose musical dynasty (Pendo is the daughter and Leah is the granddaughter of the legendary Dr. Hukwe Zawose) to take on the role of lead singer and performer, a role previously reserved exclusively for men in their culture.

Their work celebrates the culture of the Wagogo nation - they sing in their native language Kigogo - and combines traditional instruments such as the ilimba and chizeze with stirring vocals harmonies, dynamic polyrhythms and delicate electronic production. On their debut album Maisha, released on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records label, they collaborated with British producers Ol Barton-Wood and Tom Excell. This project, which connects organic sound with modern influences, soon brought them invitations to the most prestigious festivals including Glastonbury, Womad and Womex. Their famous compositions include the title song Maisha, Sauti Ya Mama or Fahari Yetu