Biography
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Born
1940
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Born In
Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania, United Republic of
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Died
30 December 2003 (aged 63)
Hukwe Zawose (born Hukwe Ubi Zawose in Dodoma, Tanganyika, in 1938 or 1940; died 30 December 2003 in Bagamoyo, Tanzania) was a prominent Tanzanian musician. A member of the Gogo ethnic group, he played the ilimba, a large lamellophone similar to the mbira, as well as several other traditional instruments. He was also a highly regarded singer.
Zawose came to national and international attention after Julius Nyerere invited him to live and work in Dar es Salaam. He also gained attention for his work with Peter Gabriel, and released two albums (Chibite and Assembly) on Gabriel's Real World Records label. His final release before his death, Assembly, was a collaborative effort with producer/guitarist Michael Brook. At the 2005 Tanzania Music Awards he was given the Hall of Fame Award. His family is included in the 2009 documentary "Throw Down Your Heart", which follows American banjo player Béla Fleck as he journeys through Africa.
Two of his offspring record as The Zawose Queens.
From www.leopardmannen.no .
"Hukwe Zawose has been a success with his virtuoso thumb piano playing and his mighty voice that stretches over 5 octaves, from deep bass to falsetto. He can roar like a lion one minute and trill like a bird the next.
He is working on a variety of compendium albums of African folk music and has released two solo albums via Realworld. Hukwe Zawose stands out as one of Africa's most important traditional musicians.
Hukwe Zawose died December 30th 2003 in his hometown Bagamoyo having been ill for a short period of time."
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