About me - www.africanbanjo.com

I'm Essau Pwelle, an African Banjoist from Wandali tribe of Yenzebwe Village, Ileje District, Mbeya region, Tanzania (East Africa). I was born October 1971. As the first born child among 2 brothers and 6 sisters. I was raised in a small farm where my parents are still subsistence farmers. We only grow food crops, raised few cows, chickens, goats, sheep, as well as 5 hunting dogs. Our village name-Yenzebwe means smiling rock in English.Our village population was less than 200 villagers when I left in 2001.

In my childhood I enjoyed taking cows on the African savanna hills and sat on the rock playing my one string instrument called "Kapala" (see banjos page) which is the beginner's instrument before you can learn how to play 4 stringed African Banjo.

At the age of 14 while I was in fifth grade, I made first 4 string banjo and started to learn how to play. Withing one month I was able to tune the banjo in D,F, A#, and D. My cousins were the master of the African Banjo in our village and they were participant in the Tanzanian National Harvest Festival Day known as Saba Saba held on July 7th every year for 25 years since after our independence from the British in December 9Th, 1961. In 1985 the harvest festival day was renamed Nane-Nane (August 8Th) after Tanzania adopted multiparty or after our regime changed from socialism to social democracy.

After I completed elementary school in 1988. My parents had no means to afford to pay for my college education due to lack of funds, and their earning GDP per year was less than $ 150. From this point I had no choice to join their village way of life and helped them to raise my brothers and sisters by cultivating a quarter of our land out of 100 acres to grow food crops. We also raised few animals in our farm and chickens.

After 5 years living with my parents, they started proposing me to have a wife at the age of 22, and inherit a quarter of our land for myself. I did refuse their proposal because I had my own dreams in life. My dream was to become a successful business man in order to help my family, relatives, and others. I had 5 goals before I left our village in Tanzania in1993:

My first goal was to learn how to ride a bicycle and own one, second how to dilute an orange juice and put in coca cola bottles and sell it at my school in order to make money , and support my brothers and sisters, third to learn how to drive a truck or Land rover and own one. Land rover was my fascinating jeep I wanted to own one after I watched the movie called (God must be crazy), fourth how to learn English language, and become a driver guide taking tourists in Tanzania National Parks, ( I learned English through speaking to the tourists because I had no money to pay for the English class which was costing $ 250 more than my parents income per year).

And the fifth was to travel the world, learn how to communicate with other people from different tradition, culture, and customs. So far I have reached my previous goals, despite my parents were not able to afford to send me to go to college . I have helped hundreds orphans children regardless of not having much money to support them. Now my music is my passionate which will help me to reach more people, educate, bring awareness, support my family, help vulnerable children in sub Saharan Africa by letting them be part of my music career, and support them. I'm hoping to go back home to Tanzania after finishing my Associate degree in hospitality, tourism, travel agent professinal at Penn Foster College December/ 2010.

To learn more what I have done in my life, please visit www.aof-usa.synthasite.com web page. Thank you!