Zenzile

by Evan C. GutierrezFrench dub band Zenzile was born in 1996, hailing from Angers, in western France. They take their band name from a famous South African poet and anti-apartheid activist. Though the dub genre is generally solely instrumental, the musicians of Zenzile are known for their leftist political stance and often give voice to their ideas lyrically through regular guest singers Janika and Jean Gomis. Their recording career began in 1998 with their debut album, Dub Promozione. Their debut on the Crash record label came a year later with Sachem in Salem, followed by Zenzile Meets Jamika, also released in 1999. The band established itself as a frontrunner in the European dub and reggae scene with a rapidly growing fan base and discography between 2001 and 2006, releasing eight albums in that time period. The band adopted the name Zenzile Sound System beginning with their 2006 release Meta Meta, shortly to be followed by Zentone on the Jarring Effects label.