The Zawose Queens
The Zawose Queens by Michael Mbwambo
Pendo Zawose is a traditional musician and one half of The Zawose Queens, who will perform at WOMEX 2025 in Tampere, Finland. Rooted in the Wagogo heritage of central Tanzania’s Dodoma region, she carries forward the legacy of her father, the late Dr Hukwe Zawose, through song and the playing of indigenous instruments such as the muheme drum, barrel drums, kayamba, and limba. Together with her cousin Leah Zawose, Pendo showcases the fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo people, bringing a powerful female voice to this tradition for the first time.
As The Zawose Queens prepare for WOMEX 2025 and celebrate their debut album Maisha, marking a historic moment as women from the Zawose family step into the spotlight as lead vocalists and performers, we speak to Pendo Zawose about offering her vibrant continuation of one of Tanzania’s most celebrated musical legacies.
“I want the audience to leave with joy; to feel they experienced something beautiful at WOMEX 2025”. - Pendo Zawose
Hi Pendo, how are you getting ready for your WOMEX 2025 performance?
Answer (Pendo – Swahili):
Mimi nimejiandaa kuwaletea kitu ambacho ninacho, kitu cha kipekee kutoka kwangu kama mwanamke. Najua wanawake wengi wanafanya mambo yao pia, lakini mimi nitafanya kile ambacho kipo ndani yangu na nataka kuburudisha mioyo yao. Sitaki mtu ajutie kuja kuniona.
Nataka wakiondoka pale wawe na furaha. Nataka kuwaletea kitu kizuri kwenye WOMEX 2025. Nitawapa kitu kitakachogusa mioyo yao, kiasi kwamba hata wakilala au kukaa wakiwa wametulia, bado wataendelea kufikiria, “Hao ni Zawose Queens.”
Answer (English, translated):
I am preparing to bring something truly my own, something unique from me as a woman. I know many women are also doing amazing things, but I want to offer what is inside me, to touch and uplift people’s hearts. I don’t want anyone to regret coming to watch us.
I want the audience to leave with joy; to feel they experienced something beautiful at WOMEX 2025. I want to give them something that stays with them — that even when they sit quietly later or go to sleep, they will still remember and say, “That was the Zawose Queens.
Can you paint us a picture of your music scene and the culture that has shaped your sound?
Answer (Pendo – Swahili, cleaned):
Kwanza, sisi tumetoka kwenye familia ya muziki, familia ya marehemu Mzee Dr. Hukwe Zawose. Asili yetu ni Dodoma, lakini mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1990, baba alihamia Bagamoyo na kufundisha sana pale. Ndipo sisi tukazaliwa na kukua ndani ya muziki, tukakuta tayari muziki unaendelea, na mpaka leo tumeendelea kuwa ndani yake. Tumekua tukijihusisha ili tusipoteze asili yetu kutoka Dodoma.
Kwa hiyo hatufanyi kitu tofauti sana na kile ambacho Dr. Hukwe alikuwa anafanya. Lakini kwa sababu dunia imebadilika na kuna mchanganyiko na usasa, muziki wetu pia una ladha ya kisasa. Tumekuwa tukichanganya muziki wetu wa asili na muziki wa elektroniki. Lakini msingi umebaki pale pale — ni muziki wa Kigogo kutoka Kanda ya Kati ya Tanzania, hususan Dodoma, ambako ndiko chimbuko letu.
Answer (English, translated):
First of all, we come from a musical family — the family of the late Dr. Hukwe Zawose. Our roots are in Dodoma, but in the early 1990s our father moved to Bagamoyo, where he taught and shared music deeply. That is where we were born and raised, surrounded by music that was already alive and growing. We continued in that path so as not to lose our heritage from Dodoma.
So, our music is not very different from what Dr. Hukwe was doing. But because times have changed, and music today often blends with modern styles, we also bring in elements of electronic music. Still, the foundation remains the same — our sound is rooted in the Wagogo traditions from the Central Region of Tanzania, especially Dodoma, which is our cultural birthplace.
What inspires you to make the music you do, and what do you hope people take away from it?
Answer (Pendo – Swahili, cleaned):
Kitu kinachonitia moyo ni safari zangu kwenye matamasha mbalimbali. Hata nikifika WOMEX, huwa naona jinsi watazamaji wanavyofurahia kile ninachofanya. Hapo ndipo napata moyo na nguvu ya kufanya kitu kizuri zaidi.
Nataka hata wanaposikiliza na kutazama, waondoke wakiwa na kumbukumbu nzuri akilini mwao. Wakaseme, “Siku fulani tuliwaona Zawose Queens jukwaani, wakifanya kitu cha kipekee.” Hicho ndicho kinachonipa msukumo.
Answer (English, translated):
What inspires me are my journeys performing at different festivals. Even when I arrive at WOMEX, what gives me strength is seeing how the audience truly enjoys what I do. That joy gives me the motivation and energy to create something even more beautiful. I want people, as they listen and watch, to leave with memories that stay in their minds. I want them to say, “I remember that day we saw the Zawose Queens on stage doing something unforgettable.” That is what inspires me and keeps me moving forward.
“Music is healing — music is medicine”. - Pendo Zawose
What journey do you want to take the audience on at WOMEX?
Answer (Leah – Swahili, cleaned):
Kwa upande wetu, tunataka wasikilizaji wapate hisia nzuri wanaposikia muziki wetu. Kama kuna mtu ambaye ameumizwa moyoni, tunataka asikie faraja na furaha kupitia muziki wetu. Muziki ni tiba, muziki ni dawa.
Kila mtu anayekuja kutusikiliza anakuja na mambo yake — wengine wamekasirishwa nyumbani, au wamegombana na mtu, labda hata wameumizwa kwa namna fulani. Lakini wakija pale na kusikiliza muziki wetu, tunataka tuwaguse mioyo yao, tuwape amani na furaha. Hivyo, wanaposikiliza muziki wetu, mioyo yao itafunguka na kupata nafuu.
Answer (English, translated):
For us, we want the audience to feel something beautiful when they listen to our music. If someone has been hurt or is carrying pain, we want them to find comfort and joy in our performance. Music is healing — music is medicine.
Everyone who comes to listen brings their own burdens. Maybe someone had an argument at home, or was mistreated, or is just feeling low. When they listen to our music, we want to reach their hearts, to give them peace and happiness. Our hope is that through our songs, their hearts will open and they will feel renewed.
Why does showcasing at WOMEX 2025 feel like the right moment for you, and what doors do you hope it might open?
Answer (Leah – Swahili, cleaned):
Naona kuonyesha kazi yangu katika tamasha la WOMEX 2025 ni wakati sahihi kwa sababu huu ni wakati wetu kama Zawose Queens kuchomoza. Ni wakati wetu wa kujitokeza zaidi, kuonekana zaidi, na kupata mwanga zaidi katika kazi yetu ya sanaa. Tunaamini kwamba kuwa jukwaani WOMEX kutatufanya tuonekane na watu wengi zaidi na muziki wetu kusikika kwa upana.
Kupitia hilo, watu kutoka sehemu mbalimbali watautazama muziki wetu, watausikiliza na kuelewa kile tunachofanya. Pia tunaweza kukutana na watu tofauti, kuunda urafiki mpya, na kupata fursa nyingine za kazi kupitia tamasha hilo la WOMEX. Kwa hiyo tunafurahi sana na tunaona hii ni nafasi nzuri sana kwetu kushiriki katika tamasha hili.
Answer (English, translated):
I feel that showcasing our work at WOMEX 2025 is the right moment because this is our time as the Zawose Queens to truly emerge. It is our time to step forward, to be more visible, and to shine more brightly in our artistic journey. We believe that being on the WOMEX stage will allow us to be seen by many and for our music to be heard more widely.
Through this platform, people from all over the world will watch us, listen to our music, and understand what we are creating. It will also give us the chance to meet different people, build new friendships, and open doors to future collaborations and opportunities. That is why we are so excited and grateful for this chance to take part in WOMEX.
Thinking about the future, what’s on the horizon?
Answer (Leah – Swahili, cleaned):
Kwa sasa sisi kama Zawose Queens bado hatuna mradi rasmi tulioanzisha, lakini tuna malengo tuliyojipangia. Tunapiga hatua ndogo ndogo ili kujitangaza na kukuza muziki wetu, na tunatarajia kufika mbali zaidi. Tunataka muziki wetu ufike mbali na sisi tukue kama wasanii wakubwa zaidi.
Moja ya ndoto na malengo yetu ni kuanzisha madarasa ya muziki kwa ajili ya watoto wadogo wanaokua na chipukia. Tunataka kuwafundisha namna ya kupiga ala za muziki wa asili, kuimba nyimbo za kitamaduni, kucheza ngoma za kiasili, na kujua chimbuko lao la kitamaduni. Tunatamani kufungua shule au madarasa yatakayosaidia watoto kujifunza muziki wa asili na hivyo kuhakikisha urithi huu unaendelea.
Answer (English, translated):
At the moment, as the Zawose Queens we do not yet have an official project launched, but we have clear goals we are working toward. Step by step, we are building our name and our music, aiming to reach further and grow as artists.
One of our dreams is to create music classes for children, the younger generations who are growing up around us. We want to teach them how to play traditional instruments, sing cultural songs, dance traditional rhythms, and understand their roots. Our vision is to open a school or classes dedicated to passing on traditional music so that this heritage can live on and grow stronger.
The Zawose Queens are official showcasing artists at WOMEX 2025. If you are are a UK resident and want to attend WOMEX 2025, apply for Horizons discount tickets here. In the meantime, follow The Zawose Queens on instagram and listen to their music via the Horizons 2025 playlist.