16 Jan - 2 Feb 2025
World

The Zawose Queens and Sorren MacLean

Tickets

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Date
19th Jan 2025
Time
7.30pm
Where
Òran Mór
Price
£19.04* includes booking fee
Age restrictions
Over 14s only. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Seating Type
Standing
Celtic Connections proudly presents The Zawose Queens and Sorren MacLean
There is spirit and fire in the sound of Tanzanian duo, The Zawose Queens. The vibrations of the ancestors come through on traditional instruments — soaring chizeze fiddle, buzzing illimba thumb piano, thundering ngoma drums — and voices that go deep, high and out there. The lyrics tell, in their native kigogo, of the passion for music and the wonders of life. 

Pendo and Leah Zawose showcase the fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo (aka Wagogo) people of central Tanzania's arid, hilly Dodoma region. The most famous exponent of this musical tradition is the late, great Dr Hukwe Zawose (Pendo’s father and Leah’s grandfather).

Maisha, The Zawose Queens' debut album, marks the first time women from this famous musical family have taken their place as lead vocalists and performers. The resulting collection ranges from stripped-back and traditional-sounding songs to those treated with subtle electronic elements, with beats, drops, found sounds, and switch-ups.

Islander Sorren Maclean is a renowned Scottish guitarist, singer, and composer. With 18 years in the music scene, he's collaborated with artists like King Creosote, Capercaillie, and Roddy Woomble. His new instrumental guitar album, ‘A Journey Looking Backwards,’ is set for release in April 2025.