There is spirit and fire in the music of The Zawose Queens. There's the 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. The most famous exponent of this musical tradition is the late, great Dr Hukwe Zawose (Pendo’s father and Leah’s grandfather).

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. Emboldened by workshops in songwriting and music production with visiting UK-based producers Oli Barton-Wood (Jordan Rakei, Obongjayar, Nilufer Yanya) and Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist, Onipa), The Zawose Queens began writing their first ever songs. The resulting collection of songs range from the stripped back and traditional-sounding to those treated with subtle electronic elements, with beats and drops and found sounds and switch-ups.

Ansumana Suso

With his vibrant energy, seamlessly bouncing from one instrument to another, his gentle, soulful connection to traditional African instruments is one to witness.

Nationally renowned and internationally adored, Ansu plays everywhere from the Nigerian and British Embassies, to supporting all the biggest hip hop acts in the country. He has now relocated to the UK ready to collaborate and innovate. The combination of his youthful energy with an ancient spirit, makes him a seriously exciting musician to hit the scene.

Ansumana, born to Mawdo Suso and Jali Kumba Suso, pioneers traditional West African styles in collaboration with other African artists as well as modern musicians and urban hip hop artists..

Ansu hails from the famous Suso family of the Griots tribe. Griots form an essential part of Gambian society, entertaining and playing music at almost every traditional ceremony and event. The contribution of the Suso family to West African traditional music is unmatched, particularly with balafon, djembe and kora.

What makes Ansumana distinct is his flexibility and versatility compared to other traditional African musicians. Ansu can easily play with some of the biggest stars like Youssou N’Dour. But his speciality becomes apparent when he brings his musical talent to support some of the biggest hip hop and dancehall stars in The Gambia like Jizz, ST and Attack.

Now in London, he has already started collaborating with some emerging hip hop artists and producers to create innovative new sounds blending the traditional with the urban.