Monoswezi | |
|---|---|
 20141206-Penang Island Jazz Festival – Bay view Beach Resort2451 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Mozambique, Norway, Sweden, Zimbabwe |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 2008 – present |
| Labels | Riverboat Records |
| Members | Hope Masike Calu Tsemane Hallvard Godal Putte Johander Erik Nylander |
| Website | www |
Monoswezi is a trans-national music collective composed of Hope Masike (voice, mbira, percussion), Calu Tsemane (voice, percussion), Hallvard Godal (saxophone, clarinet, harmonium), Putte Johander (bass), and Erik Nylander (drums, percussion). [1] The band's name is a portmanteau from the first few letters of the members’ respective nationalities: Mozambique, Norway, Sweden and Zimbabwe. Monoswezi is also a combination of the Greek word “mono”, meaning “one”, and “swezi”, which means “world” in a native South African dialect. [2] Their music has been classified as a fusion between Scandinavian and African music, under the expansive “jazz” umbrella. [3]
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The band was born out of a cultural exchange program between Africa and Norway back in 2008, [4] when Godal lived in Mozambique and met Tsemane. Soon after, Tsemane and Masike connected with Godal back in Norway and began making music together. [5] Since then the band has produced 3 albums under Riverboat Records and tours internationally. [4] Their first album, The Village, was nominated for the Songlines Music Awards in 2014. [6] [7]
