Wenge, pronounced /wen-gee/, is a legume tree native to the forests of Congo, Zaire, Gabon, Cameroon, and the southern regions of Tanzania and Mozambique. Some of its indigenous names are dikela, mibotu, bokonge, and awong. It is a hard and heavy dark-colored wood used for musical instruments, like guitars, flutes, drums and balaphones, which we play on the recordings. The name struck us as an apt metaphor for resiliency, stability, durability, and the sonic resonance we bring you on this release.

Wenge is a collaborative recording inspired by music score created for the Raphael Sbarge-directed PBS series 10 Days in Watts.