Tanga WeKwa Sando

Tanga Wekwa Sando (born Ernest Tanga Kambadzo Sando) is a renowned Zimbabwean jazz artist whose rise to fame materialised after the release of his debut album 'Wake' (2000). He ventured into the music industry in the 1970s before independence. Back then, he used to play the tambourine for the Salvation Army youth band. He also learned to play the saxophone in the band. This saw him joining other bands such as the Greenford Jangano-led Harare Mambos where he natured his craft. This marked the start of his perfomances in clubs and hotels such as Mushandirapamwe Hotel, Queen’s Hotel and at the Bulawayo Trade Fair.

In 1977, he went to went to Botswana as the liberation war took centre stage. While in Botswana, he played the tambourine for The Gaborone Town Orchestra. His love for education too center stage and he relocated to the US. While in the US, he began writing music. This prompted him to do his first recording in Bloomington, where he played in a band with five white guys. He later moved to New York to pursue a music job. Upon returning home, he formed his own band together the Giraffe together with producer, Bothwell Nyamhondera. The band recorded songs such as ‘Mahobho’ and ‘Vakomana Vekwedu’ among others. The band later disbanded and Tanga embarked on a solo career.

Between 1993 and 2000, Tanga went silent only to come back in 2001 with a new album 'Wake'. The album was recorded at his Hakuna Matata Studios. In 2014 he launched his third album ‘Katsindi’. In 2004 Sando won the National Arts Merit Award for the best selling musical artiste. In 2013, he established the PaFio Outdoor and Entertainment Centre, an outdoor facility designed to promote artists. Each Saturday, artists are invited to perform at the venue. The facility offers an opportunity for upcoming artists to share the stage with the country's finest musicians. Some of the artists who have performed there include Bob Nyabinde, Xtra Large and Shinsoman.