Late Late Show with the Zawose Queens at Ronnie Scott’s London!
Tanzanian duo The Zawose Queens, daughter and granddaughter of the great Hukwe Zawose, are set to play a very special late late show Wednesday 15th January at Ronnie Scott's. Having performed at Glastonbury and Womad last year, this rare intimate London show follows the acclaimed release on Real World Records of their debut album Maisha.
Their music is electrifying with vibrations of the ancestors coming through on traditional instruments, soaring chizeze fiddle, buzzing illimba thumb piano, ngoma drums that chatter and thunder — and voices that go deep, high and out there.
There's the connection to nature, to ceremony and ritual, in their dance-inspired fusion, their blend of the organic, harmonic and modern-day electronic. There are lyrics that tell, in their native kigogo, of the passion for music, the wonders of life, of pride in environment, in tradition; in their East African roots.
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.
Maisha, the debut album by The Zawose Queens, marks the first time that women from this famous musical family take their place as lead vocalists and performers.
“Remarkable singing that fills the room.” – The Guardian
“Accomplished, beautiful and brimming with joy, hope and strength.” – The Quietus
Listings
Late Late Show with the Zawose Queens: 15th January 2025, 11.15pm
Ronnie Scott's, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT
Ticket Price - £12; Time: 23:15 – 03:00