Broodje Brussel: Msafiri Zawose (Tanzania)

The name Zawose sounds like a bell. Msafiri Zawose is indeed the son of the late Hukwe Zawose, one of Tanzania’s best-known traditional musicians, who built an international career. Msafiri grew up surrounded by the music of the Wagogo, an ethnic group from central Tanzania, particularly around the Dodoma region. From a very young age, he learned to play traditional instruments. His music is driven by the distinctive sound of the ilimba (a type of thumb piano), the bright, resonant tones of the zeze (a nail fiddle), layered percussion and vocals. Gogo music is highly rhythmic and built around interlocking patterns, in which instruments, voices and percussion weave together to create a dynamic and constantly evolving musical texture. Msafiri draws on these traditional sounds, melodies and rhythmic structures, while incorporating his own compositions, vocals and contemporary influences. For this special acoustic concert, he will perform solo, bringing together the ilimba, zeze, voice and traditional Gogo rhythms in an intimate acoustic setting.