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

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the cultural policy of Mozambique's Liberation Front (FRELIMO), focusing on music and dance during the liberation war and transitional period (1964–1975), and during the first 5 years after independence from Portugal (1975–1980). For the first period, we will focus on a repertoire entitled ‘revolutionary anthems’ and for the second, we will analyse Mozambique's sonorous representations in three national and international events: FESTAC77 (1977), the First National Festival of Popular Dance (1978) and the First National Festival of Song and Traditional Music (1980). Building on fieldwork data gathered through several interviews with politicians, radio broadcasters, producers, musicians and archival work, we aim to explain the significance of musical performance for the ‘sonorous construction’ of the ‘new Mozambican man’ project, as envisioned by FRELIMO.

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

“…In other publications, I have extensively examined many topics related to Mozambique’s vibrant musical history, with a particular focus on Samora Machel’s presidency (1975–1986). These topics include an analysis of choral singing and traditional music (Freitas and Carvalho 2022), the significance and structure of radio broadcasting before and after independence (Freitas 2021, 2022a), the editorial and production practices of the phonographic industry (Freitas 2023a), the musician’s social status in socialist Mozambique (Freitas 2023b), and even some alternative political initiatives that were never realized (Freitas 2022b). This article, however, focuses on the first experiences to promote and sell Mozambican music abroad during President Chissano’s transitional period from a single to a multiparty system (1987–1994), taking advantage of the interest spawned by the then recently created “World Music” category.…”

“…22. During the first ten years after independence, FRELIMO looked at traditional music practices as authentic representations of the Mozambican people, while urban music, generally defined as “música ligeira” (to which Marrabenta belonged), was seen as unauthentic and being “corrupted” by the “colonialist and imperialist” influences. For more information on Mozambique’s music categorization models, see Freitas and Carvalho 2022:8–9.…”

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

“…Recentemente, tive a oportunidade de analisar vários tópicos relacionados com música em Moçambique, com particular foco no período que compreendeu a presidência de Samora Machel (1975-1986). Esses temas incluíram, entre outros aspetos, uma análise aprofundada das práticas de canto coral e de música tradicional (Freitas & Carvalho 2022), a importância e influência dos sistemas de radiodifusão antes e depois da independência (Freitas 2021; Freitas 2022), as políticas editoriais e de produção fonográfica (Freitas 2023), o estatuto social e laboral dos músicos (Freitas 2023a), e até mesmo algumas soluções governamentais alternativas com impacto na música mas que não tiveram prosseguimento (Freitas 2022a). Em alternativa, este artigo centra-se nas primeiras experiências que visaram a promoção e comercialização de música moçambicana fora do país durante a primeira presidência de Joaquim Chissano, por sua vez marcada pela transição de um sistema de partido único para outro de cariz multipartidário (1987-1994), aproveitando, no processo, o interesse gerado pela então recém-criada categoria World Music.…”

“…A música urbana, referida por “música ligeira” (à qual pertencia a Marrabenta), era vista como inautêntica ou como estando corrompida por influências colonialistas e imperialistas. Para mais informações sobre os modelos de categorização de música em Moçambique, vide Freitas & Carvalho 2022:8-9.…”

The nation in bronze and granite: Creating national monuments in post‐Soviet Bishkek

“…In scholarship on nationalism and culture, the physical and symbolic transformations of urban spaces and national rites have been of particular interest 2 . Studying the efforts of elites, scholars have understood national symbols as reflective of national narratives and ideologies, demonstrating how changing urban landscapes and national rituals reflect new and sometimes competing conceptions of national culture and identity (Adams, 2010; Cummings, 2013; Diener & Hagen, 2013a, 2013b; de Freitas & Carvalho, 2022). Another line of scholarship has argued for the necessity of understanding the nation ‘from below’, illustrating the myriad ways the nation and its symbols are understood and contested (Güçler & Gür, 2021; Kosmarskaya et al, 2017; Liu, 2012; Rohava, 2020).…”