PANJEA - featuring Chris Berry and Michael Kang

Panjea is a high energy dance band that originated its grooves in the ghettos of Zimbabwe. The bands first break came in 1992 when Panjea recorded its first hit Album "Vanhu Vamwe", that remained number one on the Zimbabwean charts for nearly the whole year. It was also during this time that Panjea played to thousands in sell-out stadium shows. Audiences flocked to see American born Chris Berry dancing and singing in Shona for at the time no-one believed it was a white man who sang out to them over the radio waves. After sweeping success in Africa, Panjea hit the international scene adding new members and fusing new sounds from around the globe, including Michael Kang from String Cheese Incident. African Rhythms are crossed with funk beats, Ancient Mbira (thumb piano) melodies are overlain with soulful jazz inspired horn lines and African melodies became the vehicle for Berry's deeply inspired parable like English lyrics. The end result of this fusion being a unique music that dances the body, sends the soul soaring and takes the mind to a place of positive introspection.

Artist website: www.panjeamusic.com