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Jagwa Music

Concert

28 Jun 2013 - 22:00

Anfiteatro ao Ar Livre

Admission 12 €

Jagwa Music are the leading exponent of the Mchiriku style, which originated twenty years ago in the poor suburbs of Dar es Salaam, when cheap Casio keyboards became available, and drew the attention of bands who were playing Chakacha dance music. What happened next is reminiscent of other, by now familiar stories (like that of Konono No.1): Jagwa Music & their peers were immediately attracted by the Casio's lo-fi sound, adopted it, hooked it to vintage amps and megaphones, and the resulting gritty, edgy, distortion-laden sound was rechristened Mchiriku. This new style has been thriving ever since in Tanzania, although it's been deliberately ignored by the media, as it is associated with uhuni (thuggery) and the city’s low life.

Jagwa Music

Irresistible Rockers from Tanzania

The lead singer of the incredible group which is establishing East African sounds in the global conscience, is a fantastic, wonderful and cheeky guy with a strolling, almost flippant appearance. And behind him is an ensemble, which mostly consists of percussionists, who weave a flying carpet of beats, while the melodic parts are performed by a kid with a small keyboard, which unmistakably resembles the one I bought for my daughter, when she was five. And I dare say that it moves. […] They are a street style band like the more famous ones from Congo. But the way they kick ass, the role as the underdog is soon to end. And as the last band Saturday night on Cosmopol they made a packed tent go crazy. The audience did not want to let go of the party. Unequalled/brilliant, simply!

(Torben Holleufer, Gaffa)