- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe members Mwalim and Zyg Peters, a father-son musical duo, are both nominated for Native American Music Awards this year.
- Mwalim is nominated for best blues recording for his album, “A Sweet Memory,” while Zyg’s “Build/Destroy” is up for best R&B recording.
- The duo collaborates on music together, but also produce their own individual sounds and work with other artists.
Morgan “Mwalim” Peters gets in the recording booth as his son, Zyg Peters, sets up the track on the computer and presses record. They’re working out of their studio Polyphonic Studios, in Wareham. They are working on a song by Wamptronica, one of their musical groups, for a record label in New York, called Eightball Records.
Mwalim, also known as Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor, and Zyg, whose stage name is The Zyg 808, are Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe members, and this year they have both been nominated for Native American Music Awards.
“Happily in non-competing categories,” said Mwalim.
Music has been in their family for generations. Mwalim said his grandfather worked in the music business, and his mother sang opera. The first instrument he learned to play was the viola at the age of 10. Zyg, on the other hand, got his first drum set when he was four.
“It was kind of always a part of the environment I was in. When I was really young there was an instrument in all of the rooms in the houses we were in,” said Zyg.
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Father and son duo
Aside from Wamptronica, which they describe as underground dance, house music, and Afrobeats, Mwalim and Zyg are also part of The GroovaLottos, which is more soul and funk. But the nominations they have for music awards are for solo work.
“Build/Destroy,” by The Zyg 808, which features his father, is nominated for best R&B recording. Mwalim’s album, “A Sweet Memory,” is nominated for best blues recording.
While Zyg’s sound is a little more alternative, his father describes it as “right between rock and hip hop.” As for himself, Mwalim said music is more inspired by blues, jazz, and soul.
However, having individual sounds doesn’t stop them from working together. “We bounce off of each other creatively,” said Zyg. “A lot of my creative process when working on my own music is in some way or another informed by when I was watching my dad work on stuff.”
When they aren’t making their own music, they’re helping other artists produce music through their record label, Poly-Groove Records.
A coming-of-age project
For Zyg, he said this album, which is nominated, is a reflection of what he sees in the world, and also what he wants to see.
“In ‘Projectile’, a lot of what I’m talking about is land back, things of that nature. Earlier I talked about ‘Shaman’ is about medical racism. One of the demographics that is on the receiving end of medical racism is Indigenous folk,” said Zyg. His father sees this album as a kind of coming-of-age project for Zyg.
“My hope is, take what you know, take what you learn, and take it as far as you can and want,” Mwalim said when asked about his dreams for his son.
On being nominated
Of course, both father and son are excited about their nominations.
“Being nominated is an honor, but more than winning it’s the actual exchanges you get to have with other artists,” said Mwalim as he recalled a memory from going to the awards in previous years. “What was really cool was checking in and there was this group of guys behind me, and they were a drum group from out West. And one of them looked at me and went, ‘You’re the guy!'”
What’s next? Zyg said he is always thinking of the next two songs, even before he releases the one he’s working on. “For us, it’s a continuum. It’s never over,” said Mwalim.
Voting is still open for the Native American Music Awards. According to organizers, winners will be announced online on March 1, unless they receive an offer to host a ceremony somewhere.
Desiree Nikfardjam is a reporter covering breaking and trending news. She graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can reach her at DNikfardjam@gannett.com.
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