Now this is something truly special: welcome to the world of Twarab music from Comoro, the archipelago situated between Tanzania and Madagascar.
A world where musicians like Zaza and her long time composer Zile write songs on demand, as requested by the families organising wedding ceremonies. A good beat usually takes about 20 minutes of Zile’s time. It’s even quicker to record Zaza’s vocals: she doesnt write anything, just gets on the mic and starts improvising, like the most talented rappers.
Zaza and Zile have been making music together for 17 years. They live in France (it is estimated that a quarter of the Comoro population lives there), an perform every weekend at weddings and parties in Paris, Marseille (sometimes called the 5th Comoro Island) or back to their homeland.
Oiginally released in 2015, this Nduzangou song currently has more than 1,5 millions of views on youtube
(check it here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSd5V2KVHP8). Comoro’s total population is 1.1 million. It gives a pretty clear insight on how popular Zaza is with her people, who often refer to her as the diva with the golden voice. All hail Queen Zaza!
A massive thank you to her manager DJ Momo for his help, and to my friend Leila Grenadine for discovering the song in a Comorian shop in Marseille. And watch out for another EP with Nduzangou remixes soon.
released July 31, 2020
lyrics by Zaza, music by Zile
Artwork by Erwan Coutelier
www.erwancoutellier.com
Mastering by Nicolas Thelliez