Kwata Fagio (Let us Work Together) crosses styles with sounds of the East African marimba, quick rap beats and playful reframing of tradition. The inimitable sounds of Msafiri Zawose's contemporary Gogo fusion music mixed with our own Alex Lobulu's throaty voice and adaptable composition, makes for a cool and entranced listening experience contrasting the urgent lyrics that convey the current global climate crisis.
Starting with Msafiri's indisputable call, Let us all work together, let us be united, the next verse rapidly heightens with Alex's crisp rap expressing action steps to help save our planet.
Arrest those who pollute our environment
Let them clean and plant the trees
Following our first release, Tutafanyaje (What Shall We Do), a call to action regarding the climate crisis, Kwata Fagio is the problem-solving perspective and paves way for the souls indefeasible duty to be of good service and good will. With the artists' awareness to global issues, their voices get bigger according to the emotions they experience while recording; an alluring combination.
Rounded out by the smooth poetry of Alex and Msafiri, the transient voices and female harmony by Pendo John, the African rhythmic energy is truly memorable and universally positive. The repeated short bits of melody become a theme with different variations and the medium of sound expresses aspects of life, the world around us and unity - bringing people together.
While Tanzania has artists adopting international styles of hiphop, reggae, and jazz, Alex and Msafiri are building on traditional sounds with a modern twist; resulting in enchanting music that is hard to mimic.
Msafiri Zawose is an admired Gogo musician from Bagamoyo, a sleepy coastal town in Tanzania. With his charismatic style, prolific song-writing and multi-instrumentalist skills, Msafiri breaks open tradition by pioneering Gogo-fusion music. In late 2012, he began fusing his unique style with modern electro-acoustic sensibilities which opened new avenues for exploration.
Alex Lobulu is an accomplished producer and song-writer from Arusha Tanzania and has been with Voice of Maasai since the beginning in 2011. His adept production and composition skills and his considerable experience recording large traditional choral groups, Alex solidifies the rare combination of art and technology to create dynamic and fresh music.
Listen to Kwata Fagio here
Read more about Msafiri Zawose and Alex Lobulu
Inquires to jessey@voiceofmaasai.com
Written by Jessey Jansen, Founder of Voice of Maasai
Acknowledgments:
Song Composition/Alex Lobulu, Msafiri Zawose
Music Arrangements Instrumental/Alex Lobulu
Music Arrangements Marimba/Msafiri Zawose
Vocalists/ Alex Lobulu, Msafiri Zawose, Pendo John
Production/Alex Lobulu
Album Art/Jessey Jansen
Executive Producer/Voice of Maasai