Hi – my name is Chris and I decided to start the Kwela Project when I began looking into this once-famous pennywhistle music style from South Africa. I play whistle myself – not very well – in a band that plays a mixture of tunes, including Mbaqanga (a descendant of kwela).
The pennywhistle is a fantastic instrument; expressive, cheap, portable, quick to get started. However its versatility is perceived to be limited due to its almost-exclusive association with celtic music. Kwela challenges this preconception and introduces those who haven’t heard it to a new way of hearing and playing the pennywhistle.
I hope you get something out of the project – I don’t know where it will lead, but I plan on having fun as I get there! Keep tuned in…
