The Zawose Family

The Zawose family, or clan, is the collective progeny and relations of the internationally renowned Wagogo musician, the late Hukwe Zawose.

When Hukwe passed away in 2003 he left not only an impressive body of work and an important musical legacy, but a family of around twenty children from four different mothers to carry on his work.

Hukwe Zawose, the father to Msafiri Zawose, was discovered by Tanzania’s founding father, Julius Nyerere, on his visit to the interior post-independence as he was welcoming everyone into their newly formed nation of Tanganyika. From this point on, the name Zawose became synonymous with music and tradition in Tanzania.

Hukwe served as a member of the cultural troupe that traveled performing traditional Tanzanian music, representing the Gogo tribe of the Dodoma region. His name grew after he became a founding member of the Chuo cha Sanaa (National College of Arts) and relocated his family to Bagamoyo. Hukwe’s untimely death in 2003 marked the end of a life and career dedicated to music, preserving tradition, and spreading the spirit of Africa around the world.