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Artist: Mabulu
Category: Newcomer
Mozambique could hardly be described as a lucky country. Still devastated by 16 years of civil war which only ended in 1993, this once prosperous state has little remaining infrastructure to support even the most basic economic activity let alone a music industry. Add to this the appallingly destructive floods of 2000 and the picture becomes even more grim.
And yet, even as the rain fell, one of the countryΒΉs newest bands were recording their first album, dodging the deluge as it started to come through the studio roof. Roland Hohberg is the East German musician and entrepreneur who had build the facilities they were using, and it was even
his idea to bring the band together.
Mabulu means 'looking for a dialogue' in the local Shangana language, a reference to the way the group is composed of very different generations of musicians.
Singer Lisboa Matavel began his career in the 1960s as a star of old school marrabenta, Mozambique's most popular national style. He brought years of experience and no small amount of swing and soul to the project. The younger generation were represented by rappers like Chiquito, the singer Chonyl, and even the ragga vocals of one Mr Arssen. Somewhere in between these two generations were other key musicians like AntΓ³nio Marcos and Alberto Mutcheca.
Against heavy odds, the album 'Karimbo' was released that same year to an enthusiastic response from audiences abroad; 'Karimbo' was virtually the first international release of Mozambican music in nearly a decade. A successful European tour followed and the band returned home to record a second instalment, picking up more personnel in the process.
This year's release 'Soul Marrabenta' features another marrabenta veteran, 72-year-old Dilon Djindji, as well as sax player Moreira Chonguiça and mandolin from Ernesto Ndzevo. New influences from neighbouring Zimbabwe and South Africa have been introduced, and there's more of an acoustic feel. Rough edges are smoother and the vocalists and rappers seem better integrated into the whole.There's even a group of 10-year-old school children, making Mabulu a truly multi-generational band.
Biography by Jon Lusk, November 2001
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