Cheny Wa Gune

Cheny Wa Gune  is a Mozambican musician, composer, and instrument builder known for blending traditional and contemporary sounds. A master of the timbila, m’bira, and xitende, he has been a central figure in promoting Mozambican musical heritage internationally through performance and innovation.

Raised in Maputo, Wa Gune began performing at age five, inheriting traditions from the Chopi people, whose complex timbila orchestras are central to southern Mozambique’s musical identity. His early involvement in community arts groups, including NTWANANU and NOVOS RAIOS, helped cultivate his multidisciplinary artistic outlook.

In 1996, Wa Gune co-founded Timbila Muzimba, an ensemble devoted to reviving and evolving traditional Mozambican sounds. With the group, he has performed across Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America, representing Mozambique’s timbila tradition while integrating jazz, funk, and Afro-contemporary influences. His collaborations include intercultural residencies such as MO’ SOME BIG NOISE (Austria–Maputo) and BUMBA (Portugal–Galicia–Maputo).

As a solo artist and leader of the Cheny Wa Gune Quarteto, he explores the meeting point of ancestral and modern music. His 2020s project M’Saho exemplifies this synthesis—melding traditional timbila textures with bass, saxophone, and percussion to create a vibrant, modern Mozambican soundscape. Wa Gune’s performances emphasize both craftsmanship and cultural continuity, sustaining indigenous instruments through new contexts.

Beyond performance, Wa Gune directs EncontrArte, a monthly multidisciplinary event launched in 2007 to promote artistic diversity in Maputo. His work bridges community tradition and contemporary expression, affirming the global relevance of Mozambican musical identity