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Busara Promotions |
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Chibite - let's go! |
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Article on Chibite,
Chibite - let’s go!Chibite is the performing group of the family of the late Dr. Hukwe Zawose, traditional Wagogo music’s internationally acclaimed master. Mystical voices and instrumentsThe Zawose family’s signature voices encompass the 5-octave vocal range; singing that switches between high feminine sounds and deep throat singing. This unique singing combined with the intense sounds of ilimba (thumb pianos), izeze (one string African violins), nguga (ankle bells) and ngoma (drums) provides a magical representation of Wagogo music that has both charmed and fascinated audiences across the world. The Birth of a legendHukwe’s success began in the 70s when the President Nyerere, was travelling through his village and heard Hukwe’s music. The enchanted President asked Hukwe, then a humble goatherder, to become his official musician. Hukwe was soon travelling with the President across the plains of Tanzania, mixing Nyerere’s social political messages of collectivisation and Ujamaa (familyhood) with his own tribal sounds and rhythms. Soon Dr. Hukwe left his tribe in the dry interior of Tanzanian to teach music at the College of Arts in the luscious coastal town of Bagamoyo. Small things fall off the Baobaob tree
As the good times rolled, the family expanded greatly, Hukwe married 7 wives and fathered over 40 children. Despite being away from the rest of his tribe, Hukwe maintained the traditions of his forefathers. His children were not sent to the government schools but instead were proudly taught the Wagogo music while also tilling crops and herding cattle on Hukwe’s land. Meanwhile, Hukwe’s international reputation had exploded. Albums, world tours and record contracts quickly followed. Hukwe criss-crossed the world, often joined by Charles, his nephew, and other members of the family. Chibite became a regular fixture at world music concerts in Asia and Europe. They also became a cult world-music phenomena in Japan. Signed to Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, the Zawoses recorded several albums encompassing, in the words of Gabriel himself: ‘some of the most beautiful music we have ever put out on Real World Records.’ Gabriel even used Hukwe and Charles as his opening act in his stadium sell-out tour “Growing Up” in 2003. After returning to Tanzania Hukwe died suddenly in December 2003. Future hope
Not one minute goes by in Bagamoyo without one of Hukwe’s children plucking away at a thumb piano or singing his songs. Hukwe’s legacy is today alive with Chibite performing both at home in Bagamoyo and across the world. The 14-strong group are in the UK playing concerts in London, at the world music festival (WOMAD – 27-29 July 2007) and the Edinburgh International Festival (2-30 August 2007). On top of this, Scottish documentary film director, John Simpson has for the past three years been making a film about Dr. Hukwe Zawose and Chibite. The film delves into the issues confronting the Zawose family, who despite falling into the sophisticated world of glossy albums and lucrative world tours, face an uncertain future. The film will be premiered at WOMAD in July 2007. For more information: www.zawose.org |
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