Soul Marrabenta is the result of Mabulu’s growth through the great variety of their local and international experiences in 2000. The meeting of different cultures during the tour in 2000 increased the overall awareness of the artists, who had never previously performed abroad for their country, Mozambique. Mabulu have all grown as artists and in doing so have crafted a more mature sound on this new album. Soul Marrabenta distils the vibrancy and dynamism that Mabulu’s concerts exude and take it to new height adding influences like kwela (South African penny-whistle music) and chimurenga (Zimbabwean dance) – among others – to the bed rock of the contagious sound of marrabenta mixed with Mozambican hip-hop. In addition to these elements, the band has taken a new direction by recording a number of acoustic tracks, and have integrated the saxophone into their compositions, thereby adding another dimension to the pure energy of their live performances.
The oldest members of multi-generational Mabulu are 73-year-old Dilon Djindji and Lisboa Matavel, ten years his junior and the living legend of marrabenta music. For decades they were rivals for the throne of the ‘King of Marrabenta’, yet now they are working together on one project with tolerance and understanding. Lead singer António Marcos, guitarist Zôco, bass guitarist Edú, drummer Jorgito, young female vocalist Chonyl and the rapper Chiquito all participated on the recording of Mabulu’s debut album, Karimbo, and here on Soul Marrabenta. In addition to the oldest living marrabenta musician, Dilon Djindji, the project integrated the talented 20-year-old vocalist Nené. Other musicians were invited to make guest appearances on the album, such as the Mozambican saxophone player Moreira Chonguiça (who now resides in South Africa), the mandolin player Ernesto Ndzevo, the popular singer Abílio Mandlaze, Zico and the rappers from Auto Squad, as well as a group of 10-year-old schoolchildren.
One of Mabulu’s greatest strengths is its combination of artists from different generations, all with rich and diverse experiences to relate. The songs reflect the hardship and fears, as well as the hope and joy of life, in Mozambique, a country recovering from civil war and natural disaster. In the classic African songwriting tradition, Mabulu’s lyrics on Soul Marrabenta cover a wide range of subjects – the tracks’ themes range from a love song written by Dilon Djindji, dedicated to his old flame Elisa Mabai, to the serious social issues that affect life in Africa, such as AIDS and poverty. There is also a tribute to the (now lasting) image of the devastating floods of early 2000 – ‘Rosita’ is named after the baby born in a tree surrounded by the deluge, which was captured by global news. After they returned home, Mabulu began performing concerts for the population in the rural and suburban areas around Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Their music educated as well as entertained the local people and gave them the courage and inspiration to complete the hard work of reconstruction after the floods, in an area where the soul of marrabenta has its birthplace.
Mabulu have already written Mozambican music history – with their debut album Karimbo, they were the first group from Mozambique to release a locally recorded album on the international music market. With Soul Marrabenta, and the release tour in Europe and South America, the group has shown its development and proved that a Mozambican renaissance is under way.
1 Bula Bula / Pronounce Yourself 3:42 (Joaquim Dimande)
lead vocal: Nené
backing vocals: Zôco, Jorgito, Zico
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
timbila: Zôco
For a long time I told you
That I need you
Try to believe
And let us live together
This song is based on the smandji mandji rhythm, played in the southern Africa region. However, with the addition of a timbila, a xylophone instrument, it is more identifiable with the music played in the southern provinces of Mozambique.
2 Palavra D’Honra / Word Of Honour 5:05 (Abílio Mandlaze)
lead vocal: Mandlaze
backing vocals: Auto Squad
rap vocal: Chiquito
ragga vocal: Zico
drums: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
mandolin: Chimanganine
A very popular song in Mozambique that invites both young and old to enjoy different traditional alcoholic drinks, like xindere and xilalassi. If you visit Mozambique you have to taste it, and maybe sing with the locals: ‘I swear with my word of honour, I will drink this till I’ll die.’ The mandolin makes all translations unnecessary.
3 AIDS 4:28 (Joaquim Dimande)
vocals: Nené, Edú, António Marcos, Jorgito, Lisboa Matavel, Chonyl, Chiquito
acoustic guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
Take care
AIDS is killing
This sickness
Destroys the life
Of adults and children
The beauty of life
Is in danger
My brother, take care
Don’t let AIDS kill you
This virus doesn’t sleep
This virus kills silently
Don’t leave your friend alone
When he is positive
In this song, the voices of all the group members are united to break the silence. Mabulu regularly play in the rural areas and various districts of Mozambique to help to educate the people, and to create debate and awareness between the young and old generations on subjects like AIDS, about which there is still a lot of ignorance on the African continent.
4 Rosita 3:36 (Lisboa Matavel)
lead vocal: Lisboa Matavel
backing vocal: Chonyl
drums: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
A child was born in a tree
And others were born
Under the tree
Each birth
Is a moment of glory
Let us pray
And sing and dance
Floods
Floods once again in our country
In Beira, Quelimane, Xai-Xai, Inhambane
In Maputo
The livestock died
The people died
The children died
Once again in our country
Rosita is the name of a baby who was born in a tree during the floods in February 2000, when Karimbo, the first Mabulu album was being recorded. One year later, on Rosita’s first birthday, this song was recorded for this album, while Mozambique was again suffering severe flooding.
5 Elisa Mabai 3:10 (Dilon Djindji)
lead vocal: Dilon Djindji
rap vocal: Chiquito
drums: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
Elisa Mabai
Is suffering
I never saw a noble woman
Dressed in coal sacks
If you love me
Come to me
If you want me
Stay with me
If you hate me
Stay distant
You are angry
When I talk to someone
When I play with someone
Elisa Mabai
How you are suffering
The boss with the tie
He wants you
But you are dressing in your coal sacks
Something hurts you
You are angry
When the boss takes another woman
But when he wants to be with you
You are complicated
You want to see him alone
With your picture in his hand
But he wants to be by your side
This is not right Elisa
This life wants to see you smiling
This song is an example of the original marrabenta rhythm as it was played in the 1960s, in the streets and nightclubs of Lourenco Marques (now Maputo). The dialogue created between a young rapper and an older marrabenta star brings different views, which are based on the same tradition.
6 Tshina / Dancing 3:35 (Jorge Muzima)
lead vocals: Jorgito, Nené, Zico, Chonyl
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
I want to dance
I want to sing
Dancing and singing
For you
Playing xizambe
Makes me feel happy
And gives peace
To my soul
A song – based on the South African kwela rhythm – that invites you to dance.
7 N’Binheto / Misfortune 4:03 (António Lodingue Matusse)
lead vocal: António Marcos
backing vocal: Chonyl
rap vocal: Chiquito
acoustic guitar: Zôco
You deceived me
Causing me pain
You don’t throw away your bread
Because the hungry souls could catch it
But now you throw me away
Causing me pain
A bitter song of two brothers who hope to leave their country. They do everything together, helping each other to fulfil their dream. However, once abroad, they go their separate ways.
8 Ku Lunga / Honesty 4:35 (António Lodingue Matusse)
lead vocal: António Marcos
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
My honesty causes me to suffer
I ruined my back
Lugging heavy sacks
I didn’t go to school
I don’t know how to write
I don’t want to be a diplomat
Sitting on a truck trailer
Model 112
Receiving orders
With a sack on my head
Carry this
Fetch that
The only thing I learned
Is working in the fields
But there are no fields
In this town
My back has become curved
Carrying those heavy sacks
My humility will kill me
My honesty will kill me
A song about a simple worker who (due to the war) took refuge in the town, ruining his health by his honesty.
9 Catembe 4:06 (António Lodingue Matusse)
lead vocal: António Marcos
rap vocal: Chiquito
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
I caught the ferryboat to Catembe
They served me seafood
Prepared with peanuts
Peanuts prepared
By the daughter of João
And by the daughter of Muzumbe
In Mafalala
I crossed paths with a religious man
Strong in his way
I got strong by his side
Come and listen
At sunrise
I caught the boat
I thought I had arrived too late
To catch the boat to Catembe
Seafood was served
It was mouth-watering
I enjoyed the meal in peace
Another day I again went to Mafalala
Oh my god
I saw a phantom
Dressed like a religious man
Looking at me
I looked at him
He was ashamed and disappeared
Maputo now is a colourful, pulsating and noisy capital, but the ferry trip to Catembe (a small village on Maputo Bay) is short, and upon reaching the shore there is a tranquil view of the multi-storey buildings of the city. Mafalala is a famous city district of Maputo, where in the past many artists, painters, sculptors and musicians lived.
10 Tsunelani / Come Closer 3:36 (Jorge Muzima)
lead vocals: Chonyl, Nené
backing vocals: schoolchildren
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
timbila: Zôco, Edú
My brother
We need more schools
In our country
They have been destroyed
By the war
And the floods
Friendly nations
Come closer
Influenced by the chimurenga rhythm of Zimbabwe, this song is a call for solidarity. The war and floods in Mozambique have destroyed many schools, and help is needed for their reconstruction.
11 Buya / Come On 3:21 (Joaquim Dimande)
lead vocal: Nené
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
Come and make me happy
Let my soul be cheerful
And let me say
That I love you
12 Ulombe / Honey 3:26 (Dilon Djindji)
lead vocal: Dilon Djindji
backing vocal: Zico
rap vocal: Chiquito
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
The honey is tasty
And alleviates the pain
Come and think about it
Take care of your life
Calm down your heart
And let it lead everything
Don’t be misled
By those who want
To consume you
We are passengers
And we won’t take
Anything with us
If you try bitter things
You will miss the honey of life
13 Vanana / Children 3:49 (Joaquim Dimande)
lead vocal: Nené
backing vocals: Mingas, Nené, Chonyl
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
Look at them
It is not their fault
Look at the children
Escape from the weapons
God forgive us
It is not our fault
Let the children
Grow up in peace
14 Hlamalani / Admiration 4:16 (Lisboa Matavel)
lead vocal: Lisboa Matavel
backing vocals: Chonyl, Nené
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
Be admired my people
One day Matavel will die
Come and be happy
You, my God, look at me
And give peace to my heart
In each musician’s life comes the day for his last song. He invites the people to come together and to be happy with his last melody.
15 Maldeyeni / In The Villages 4:02 (António Lodingue Matusse)
lead vocal: António Marcos
backing vocals: Nené, Chonyl
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
My heart doesn’t live in this town
It lives on the other side of the water
South of the Limpopo River
Growing up on the other side
Where there is richness
Breeding ducks, chickens and rabbits
You can’t breed goats in the town
If you do that you have to buy heels
And if you want to breed cattle
You have to buy shoes
Finally you will have to brush their teeth
Someday you have to visit Chiconela
You have to visit the Limpopo River
16 AIDS (But Hope) 5:31 (Joaquim Dimande)
vocals: Nené, Edú, António Marcos, Jorgito, Lisboa Matavel, Chonyl, Chiquito
drums, percussion: Jorgito
bass: Edú
guitar: Zôco
saxophone: Moreira Chonguiça
An estimated 1.4 million Mozambicans are living with the HIV virus, meaning that sixteen per cent of the adult population is infected with HIV. The number of new AIDS cases each year is about 100,000 and the majority of AIDS cases are in fact undiagnosed. A large proportion of Mozambicans are now living with the disease, either directly (in that they are themselves infected) or indirectly (in that relatives, friends, colleagues, or neighbours are infected). Education, information and communication about the disease is urgently needed, and the performance of musicians in the rural areas has proved to be important. There is concern about the situation in Mozambique, but there is also hope that the AIDS expansion can be stopped. The artists and instruments on this album express this hope.
Appearing on this album are
Agueda Manuela Das Dores Bonifacio – NENÉ
Angela Chonilal Duarte Jose – CHONYL
António Lodingue Matusse – ANTÓNIO MARCOS
Edúardo Massango – EDÚ
Francisco António Mbeve – CHIQUITO
Joaquim Alberto Dimande – ZÔCO
Jorge Manuel Sansao Muzima – JORGITO
Lisboa Matavel Fambate – LISBOA MATAVEL
Venancio de Conceicao Dilone Jinge – DILON DJINDJI
Guest appearances by
AUTO SQUAD
Abílio Mandlaze – MANDLAZE
Anastacio Morais Langa – ZICO
Elisa Domingas Salatiel Jamisse – MINGAS
Ernesto Ndzevo – CHIMANGANINE
Moreira William Chonguiça – MOREIRA CHONGUIÇA
We would like to dedicate Soul Marrabenta to the thousands of people who lost their lives, their homes and all their property during the catastrophic floods in Mozambique. Hoping that one day the cry of our people will be heard in the White House…
We thank our people for their resistance and their unbroken hope, which encouraged us during the recordings.
Thanks to the World Music Network team, especially to Phil Stanton and Sandra Alayón-Stanton, for believing in us.
Special thanks to Beni Guentert and Ryuichi Sakamoto for their helpful advice.
Thanks to all the journalists who have helped our music to be heard, especially to Rick Sanders (fRoots), Lara Allen (Songlines), Jon Pareles (New York Times), Martin Sinnock (Gramophone), Clive Bell (The Wire, Soundcheck), Dave Haslam (Taplas), Alex Henderson (AMG Expert Review), Nuno Sardinha (RDP Africa) and Yusuf Mahmoud (ZIFF).
Mabulu fanclub: mabulumozambique@yahoo.com
Visit www.worldmusic.net to listen to sound samples of all World Music Network and Riverboat Records releases
Also available on Riverboat Records: Mabulu – Karimbo (TUGCD1021), Eyuphuro – Yellela (TUGCD1022)
All tracks published by Riverboat UK Music
Recorded and mixed at Studio Mozambique Recording in Maputo by Roland Hohberg
email: promusic@teledata.mz
Sleeve notes by Alison Smith
Photography by Roland Hohberg
UK coordination by Duncan Baker
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