The Zawose Queens

Pendo and Leah Zawose showcase the fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo (aka Wagogo) people of the arid, hilly Dodoma region of central Tanzania. The most famous exponent of this musical tradition is the late Dr Hukwe Zawose – Pendo’s father and Leah’s grandfather. A strict conservative, he never allowed women from his family to take their place as lead vocalists and performers but emboldened by workshops in songwriting and music production with visiting UK-based producers Oli Barton-Wood and Tom Excell, The Zawose Queens began writing their first ever songs, resulting in their groundbreaking 2024 debut album for Real World Records. Since then, they have been celebrating their radical and expansive approach to Gogo traditions, melded with electronic elements, to major world festivals including Womad, Glastonbury, Winnipeg Folk and Shambala UK.