African music, compiled by Stan Rijven. Episode: Independencia! 45 years of independence in lusophone Africa
Two summer editions of Mariama are about music & liberation in Africa. After all, 2020 marks 60 years of independence of many anglophone and francophone countries. This was the theme of the programme on 24 July with Indépendance cha-cha.
Today’s programme focuses on lusophone, Portuguese-speaking, Africa. For Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe liberation did not come until 1975 (by the way, also the year that the Netherlands declared the independence of Suriname).
Music played an important role, which should not be underestimated. A role not only as a ‘weapon’ against the Portuguese colonial government, but especially as a binding agent in the pursuit of the people’s own identity.
Political refugee João Silva, alias Djunga De Biluca, for example, was the voice of the fight for an independent Cape Verde from the city of Rotterdam. Via his label Morabeza Records, founded in 1965, he offered a platform to forbidden local styles such as morna, funana and coladeira.
Cesaria Evora, who was later to become THE voice of the Cape Verdean song, made her debut on this label. So did Bonga, the rasping and powerful voice of the Angolan resistance.
Jose da Silva, a distant cousin of Djunga, put lusophone music on the world map by starting his Lusafrica-label (1989) and the Krioll Jazz Festival (2011). Good to know: in 2019, morna music was added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco.
Playlist:
- Os Kiezos/ Saudades de Luanda- Angola
CD: Soul of Angola, anthologie de la musique angolaise 1965/75 (Lusafrica)- 2001
- Cesaria Evora/ Mar Azul- Cape Verde
CD: Radio Mindelo, early recordings (Lusafrica)- 2008
- Cesaria Evora/ Angola- Cape Verde
CD: Miss Perfumado (Lusafrfica)- 1992
- Bonga/ Mona Ki Ngi Xica- Angola
CD: Angola 72 (Morabeza Records)- 1972
- Uma Amiga/ David Zé- Angola
CD: Special sounds from Luanda, 1965/’78 (Analog Africa)- 2010
- Massukos/ Ntolilo- Mozambique
CD: Bumping (Poo Productions)- 2006
- Sum Alvarinho/ Cacau- São Tomé e Principe
CD: 1975-1995 Independencia! (Lusafrica)- 1995
- Finaçon/ Mantchontcha- Cape Verde
CD: 1975-1995 Independencia! (Lusafrica)- 1995
- Mayra Andrade/ Téra lonji- Cape Verde
CD: Lovely difficult (Sony)- 2013
- Djocy Santos/ Mãezinha ft. Cikay L.A.S.- The Netherlands/ C.Verde
CD: Mulher (own release)- 2019
- Americo Brito/ Sintado na pracinha- NL/ Cape Verde
CD: Space echo (Analog Africa)- 2016
- Teofilo Chantre/ Entre temps- Cape Verde
CD: Mestissage (Lusafrica)- 2011
- Camilo Domingos/ Mundo- Cape Verde
CD: Popular music from Cape Verde (Sounds of the world)- 1995
