| Monoswezi | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Origin: | Mozambique, Norway, Sweden, Zimbabwe |
| Years Active: | 2008 – present |
| Label: | Riverboat Records |
| Current Members: | Hope Masike Calu Tsemane Hallvard Godal Putte Johander Erik Nylander |
Monoswezi is a trans-national music collective composed of Hope Masike (voice, mbira, percussion), Calu Tsemane (voice, percussion), Hallvard Godal (saxophone, clarinet, harmonium), Putte Johander (bass), and Erik Nylander (drums, percussion).[1] The band's name is a portmanteau from the first few letters of the members’ respective nationalities: Mozambique, Norway, Sweden and Zimbabwe. Monoswezi is also a combination of the Greek word “mono”, meaning “one”, and “swezi”, which means “world” in a native South African dialect.[2] Their music has been classified as a fusion between Scandinavian and African music, under the expansive “jazz” umbrella.[3]
The band was born out of a cultural exchange program between Africa and Norway back in 2008,[4] when Godal lived in Mozambique and met Tsemane. Soon after, Tsemane and Masike connected with Godal back in Norway and began making music together.[5] Since then the band has produced 3 albums under Riverboat Records and tours internationally.[6] Their first album, The Village, was nominated for the Songlines Music Awards in 2014.[7] [8]