The music of Mozambique comes from a variety
of influences and has influenced other styles as well. Much of what has become
their traditional music is a combination of African and Portuguese musical
styles and instruments. And because of its Portuguese ties, the music of Brazil
also shares some commonalities (along with Cuba as well).
As they gained their independence, they
began to move away from European-influenced styles to more African influences,
especially those from eastern and southern Africa. One style that is well known
from Mozambique is called marrabenta. This type of dance music originated in
the urban areas. Marrabenta songs are generally thought to be love songs, and
although the word itself is from Portuguese, the lyrics are typically in local
languages. One musician, Fany Pfumo, lived in South Africa for many years and
introduced kwela music into marrabenta.
Timbila music, originating from the Chopi
tribes of Inhambane Provice, is characterized by an instrument called the mbila
(the plural of this is timbila). The mbila is related to a xylophone, and
ensembles typically consist of ten xylophones. A leader improvises a melody
line over a contrapuntal second line.
Pandza music became more popular during more
recent years. As a mix of various urban styles like marrabenta, ragga, and
hip-hop, it tends to be more popular among the youth. The lyrics mainly talks
about social problems and daily life and is generally sung in either Portuguese
or Shangaan (a language spoken in/near Maputo, a dialect of Tsonga).
Like many other areas of Africa, dances are
often intertwined with the musical styles performed. In Mozambique, these
dances tend to have intricate moves and are performed for a variety of reasons,
mainly for rituals or retelling an event. For the most part, both male and
female dancers wear colorful outfits and/or masks during the dance. A few of
the more commonly known dances are the marrabenta dance, the nhau dance, the
mapik dance, and the xigubo dance.
I found several groups and musicians on
Spotify. The first one I listened to is Rosália Mboa. Her music falls into the
pandza category, but it stays a little more on the traditional style than other
musicians. I like her music, and I especially like the mix of high and medium
guitar sounds. She generally sings in her local language, although I can’t be
for certain what it is.
The next one I listened to is Lizha James. I
really liked what I heard here. She utilizes quite a bit more ragga into her
music and sings primarily in Portuguese (although there are a couple tracks
with English titles and mostly English lyrics). DJ Junior, MC Roger, Denny Og,
and DJ Ardiles are others whose music falls into the same category. They tend
to switch languages from using local languages to Portuguese or English.
If you’re a fan of reggae, dancehall, or
even reggaeton, I think you’d like Ziqo. Ziqo has some good beat in a mellow, smooth voice. I listened to an album with him and Denny Og, who I think kind of reminds me of Beeny Man or
sometimes Don Omar at times. His rough, raspy voice makes him almost the DMX of
Mozambique. But the music is catchy and has a good beat. I could beat that in
my car.
Stewart Sukuma is a good example of
marrabenta music. When I listened to his music, it reminded me of something I’d
hear on a Brazilian samba album or maybe an MPB album (Musica Popular
Brasileiro – Popular Brazilian Music). I liked what I heard, even though it
still totally reminded me of Brazil. But be prepared before you watch the video above -- if you're like me, you'll need a tissue. Chico Antônio’s music was a little softer
in style, not quite as “in your face.” He also performs marrabenta music. It
definitely gave me that impression he’s probably been performing for longer
than I’ve been alive perhaps.
Another marrabenta group is Mingas. It
sounds like the type of music you would put on when you want to relax at the
end of the day with a glass of wine and just chill. The music seems a bit
slower than compared with pandza.
When I listened to Ghorwane, I was torn
between what I was listening to. On one hand, I recognized that distinctive
African guitar riff, but then it was interrupted with what I identify as a
Latin horn line. But this is what I love about music – merging styles we
typically identify with a particular style of music. They also utilize the
rhythm section quite a bit, too – and that’s always a plus.
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