Matengo Flavour is a music documentary weaving intimate, acoustic performances throughout the heart-warming story of Tanzanian musician Adeson Nchimbi and his South African wife, Theresa, who relocated together from urban Cape Town to Adeson’s ancestral homeland in rural Tanzania. Adeson and Theresa moved with the goal of improving the quality of life for Adeson’s people through community projects but they find their initiatives are not as welcomed by the community as they had expected. The story is interwoven with Adeson’s personal journey to learn what he calls “organic music” from his traditional Matengo culture and Theresa’s personal journey to redefine what it means to live a “good life” without luxuries.
Adeson Nchimbi is a Tanzanian composer, songwriter and performing artist specializing in folk, reggae and traditional music from his native Matengo culture of the rural Mimbua region where he grew up and is currently based.
Sarah Van Borek is a Canadian-born, Cape Town-based documentary filmmaker and PhD scholar in media arts-based education for sustainable development.