Members of Kina Zore, a Boston-based band led by Helder Tsinine, play some fairly uncommon devices of their 2023 Tiny Desk Contest submission, “Covid 19.” Along with Tsinine on guitar and Galen Willett on bass, you see band members taking part in pots and pans, pouring water and using jars of jam, pickles and even protein powder as drums. The band’s distinctive strategy to creating its track is a part of what made it stand out to this 12 months’s Contest judges (together with Sharon Van Etten, who included the entry in an episode of Tiny Desk Contest High Shelf). It is one in every of a handful of spectacular entries Weekend Version is that includes this summer season.

Tsinine says the concept for the entry got here naturally to the band members, who’ve been taking part in music collectively since 2009. “We had been within the kitchen speaking about submitting to the Contest and thought, ‘we should always simply file it proper right here!’,” he shares.

Sung in Tsinine’s native language of Ronga, the track “Covid 19” displays upon the on a regular basis struggles many confronted throughout lockdown, and in addition acknowledges that some had been dealing with a lot larger challenges, like struggle. He says he had the concept for the track whereas listening to NPR at some point — he heard a reporter speaking about quite a few main conflicts all through the world and it put his personal lockdown expertise into perspective. Tsinine says the track’s chorus, “Sekelekane Mu Nyhima” means “please rise up and salute the docs, academics and troopers who put their life on the road to assist everybody in want.”

Tsinine additionally make clear the experiences and musical influences that form his artwork. He grew up in Mozambique in the course of the civil struggle and says he named the group Kina Zore in an effort to revive a forgotten conventional Mozambique dance by the identical identify. He did not develop up with any devices — he improvised with no matter he may discover, very similar to his Contest entry video — however was fascinated by conventional African devices and American rock musicians. Ultimately he started taking part in guitar, and describes his musical type as a mix of these influences.