Makwayela: choral performance and nation building in Mozambique

Abstract

This in an ethnomusicological study of choral performance in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique. It includes a historical perspective over the last thirty years, and it analyzes the changes which took place in performance along with the political changes in this African country. The author studies the use of music for the purpose of creating a national identity. Makwayela, a characteristic kind of male choral performance which developed in Southern Mozambique, is used as a study case. Makwayela is described and framed within the range of expressive modes in Maputo. Its origins are discussed in the background of mining culture in Southern Africa, and its development is associated with recent social history in Mozambique, and particularly in Maputo.

Between War, Politics, and “Something Nice Back Home”: Uncovering the First Mozambican Experiences within the “World Music” Market (1987–1994)

“…This article can also be contextualized within the broader framework of nation-building and postcolonial studies in Africa. Many ethnomusicologists have already delved into this subject, including Waterman on Nigeria (1990), Carvalho on Mozambique (1997), Turino on Zimbabwe (2000), Askew on Tanzania (2002), and Meintjes on South Africa (2003), to name a few. Collectively, these studies confirm the existence of a general ethnomusicological tenet: Regardless of the country or historical periodization under examination, they demonstrate that more than reflecting nationalist ideals, expressive behavior (including music and dance) played a pivotal role in producing national beliefs and in managing expectations on cultural, political, and economic sovereignty.…”

Entre guerra, política e “uma visão positiva lá de casa”: Descortinando as primeiras experiências moçambicanas na senda da “World Music” (1987-1994)

“…Este artigo enquadra-se, igualmente, nas teorias sobre construção da nação e estudos pós-coloniais em países africanos. São vários os etnomusicólogos que têm vindo a aprofundar este tema, destacando-se, entre outros, Waterman sobre a Nigéria (1990), Carvalho sobre Moçambique (1997), Turino sobre o Zimbabwe (2000), Askew sobre a Tanzânia (2003), e Meintjes sobre a África do Sul (2003). Coletivamente, estes estudos confirmam a existência de um credo etnomusicológico comum: não obstante o país ou época histórica sobre o qual incidem, todos procuram demonstrar que, mais do que refletir os ideais nacionalistas, o comportamento expressivo teve um papel determinante para forjar a nação, desenvolvendo, além do domínio da política formal, expectativas sobre a soberania cultural, política e económica.…”

Performing a culture, staging the revolution: Choral singing and traditional music as nation‐building tropes in post‐colonial Mozambique

“…Protestant missions had a decisive role on the development of many Mozambican choral practices, especially in the south of the country, as was the case of Makwayela, a multi‐expressive genre organised around neighbourhoods, workplaces and institutions. The revolutionary anthems emerged from a similar social framework to Makwayela, as the adaptation of religious repertoires taught in churches and mission schools (de Carvalho, 1999), which is how Mahanjane and Fazenda knew how to write songs on a pentagram.…”

“…3 3 Such as de Carvalho (1999), focusing on the appropriation of Makwayela as a ‘national dance’; Schwalbach (2002), on the role of música ligeira and radio broadcasting during the socialist period; Filipe (2012), Sopa (2013) and Laranjeira, (2014), regarding ‘cultural nationalism’ and popular music in Lourenço Marques mainly during the late colonial period; Israel (2014), on Mapiko practices between 1917 and 2009, from the height of the colonial period, through the liberation war and subsequent socialist and post‐socialist periods; and de Freitas, 2020, regarding the ‘sonorous construction of Mozambique’ between 1974 and 1994, focusing on cultural policy, radio broadcasting and music industries; among others.…”