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Journal of Southern African Studies, 50 (1), 2024.

Janne Rantala

 

A Sonic Biography of an Afterlife: The Expelled Liberation Leader Uria Simango in Mozambican Rap

Welcome to the companion site to my Journal of Southern African Studies article about Mozambican rap music and its makers that invoke vilified revolutionary leader Uria Simango.

Simango was one of the founders (1962) and vice-president (1962-1969) of Mozambique鈥檚 dominant liberation front the Frente de Liberta莽茫o de Mo莽ambique (Frelimo), which fought the Portuguese colonialism in an armed struggle between 1964 and 1974. The article contributes in debates about the liberation memory and dissidence in southern Africa and for Hip Hop studies it suggests application of Hip Hop scholar鈥檚 lenses to a variety of other types of historical sources and research materials directly or indirectly related to this music; in this particular case it does it through contextualised listening to rap music within decades鈥� long disputes about liberation, heroism, betrayal, regionalism, tribalism as well as Frelimo鈥檚 contested monopoly of power since Mozambique鈥檚 independence in 1975.  

Below you鈥檒l find links to all tracks to go along with the article. Please do read along with this music at hand, because it is your own listening to this music that is at least as important than interpretation I present in 鈥淪onic Biography鈥� arising from my personal expertise and experience about this Hip Hop knowledge. My article seeks to show one route among many other possible ones to listen to this music while this media companion will facilitate new readings and listenings based on other expertises, positions and experiences as much special as my own.     

Peace and truth, Janne

The article is .

You can listen to all tracks available in Youtube through this .

 

Invocation of Political Ancestors beyond Mozambique

Invocations of what I designate 鈥減olitical ancestors鈥� by sampling their either recorded, mimicked or otherwise sampled voice is a common trope in Hip Hop. Examples referenced in Mozambican Hip Hop and beyond can be listened on through links embedded in images and text below.  

The international joint track 鈥淧residentes Mortos鈥� (Dead Presidents, 2016) with Angolan and Mozambican participation is playing with an US Hip Hop gem about 鈥渄ead presidents鈥�, which usually refers to money. In Mozambican rap, also, 鈥淪amoras鈥� -- similarly to 鈥淏enjamins鈥� in the United States -- most often refer to money because of Mozambican Metical notes, which have Samora Machel鈥檚 image as the first president of independent Mozambique. In this track, which starts with Martin Luther King鈥檚 voice, however, the gem鈥檚 main reference are African and African American political leaders who were assassinated in a collaboration between alive presidents and the West.   

Press谩gio featuring Flash Enccy and Azagaia: 鈥淧residentes mortos鈥�.

 The gem has already a long history: When I was writing earlier article where I first time utilised the concept of political ancestors, 鈥�, I interviewed a legendary Hip Hop broadcaster H茅lder Le贸nel from R谩dio Cidade, Maputo city channel of a national broadcasting company. He told me that one of the first rap tracks he remembers paying tribute to Samora Machel and other late African revolutionary leaders was US Golden Era classic, 鈥淎.F.R.I.C.A.鈥� (1987) by Stetsasonic.

 

Stetsasonic: 鈥淎.F.R.I.C.A.鈥�

While not originally invoking a political ancestor as Nelson Mandela was alive, Prophets of da City鈥檚 classical track 鈥淣eva Again鈥� (1994) had, anyhow haunting feeling: South African Public had not seen Nelson Mandela in 27 years while he was in prison and his way to speak English had reserved many features of language back in the 1950-60s.

  

Prophets of da City: 鈥淣eva Again鈥�. 

As a bonus, please find below another (brand new) track paying tribute to Nelson Mandela and using his recorded voice. It is not referenced in the article, but is a perfect example of the international joint track invoking a political ancestor. It counts on a participation of my long-time research participant and friend Inspector Desusado from Chimoio who also directed the music video.

 

Inspector Desusado featuring Shadow Agency (USA), Xidus Pain (UK), SirHghtlight (USA), Majestic Da God (USA) and  Dumi Right (Zimbabwe): 鈥淥vercome (Brocken Shackles)鈥�, 2024.

 

Rapping back Uria Simango to History

While school manuals either 鈥渇orget鈥� or vilify Uria Simango as a traitor, following tracks are rapping Uria Simango back to history while not having his legacy as a main theme. Tone of these tracks ranges between semi-neutral invocations to clear homage.

Azagaia: 鈥淗omem Bomba鈥�, 2013.

In a moment of a publication of 鈥淪onic Biography鈥�, Andr茅 Cardoso鈥檚 aKa MC Chamboco鈥檚 鈥淎 Narrativa鈥� (The Narrative, 2019) cannot be found online, but his Youtube channel can be found . The track will be a part of his forthcoming album Segredo do Estado.  

Tuz MC鈥檚 鈥淢eus Her贸is鈥� is quite an exceptional track as it pays tribute to his living father and late mother who were Makonde combatants participating in the liberation struggle. Its alive performance can be found . At a moment of publication his 鈥淎pocalipse 13鈥� could not be found online.

Batalh茫o da Intelig锚ncia鈥檚 鈥淒ia dos Her贸is Mo莽ambicanos鈥� (Mozambican Heroes鈥� Day) as well as its music video have also a similar link to family memories. They pay tribute to a grandfather of one of the members alongside of a long list of more well-known heroes.

 

Batalh茫o da Intelig锚ncia: 鈥淒ia dos Her贸is Mo莽ambicanos鈥�.

Inspector Desusado鈥檚 鈥淎penas a Liberdade de Espress茫o鈥� (Only about Freedom of Expression), featuring W-Joker, makes a part of the album

A Emboscada Oficial (2016) by independent label Ladojo International. Whole album can be found and a music video below.  

 

Inspector Desusado featuring Wjoker: 鈥淎penas a Liberdade de Espress茫o鈥�.

Alongside a version of 鈥溾�� (Superhero), also by Inspector Desusado, and featuring Ray Breyka, cited in the article, I wish to facilitate your access to featuring Sunday with English refrain. It can be found in the album D.D.M. (Diretamente das Mantas) available in Spotify. Both versions are produced by legendary Maputo producer Proofless.

 

Discussing with Simango鈥檚 鈥淕loomy situation in Frelimo鈥�

While not directly referencing to Simango or his legacy, some tracks are continuing the very same criticisms against regionalism and tribalism that Simango conducted in his 鈥淕loomy Situation in Frelimo鈥� (1969), an open letter and arguably a key factor in his expulsion from Frelimo and eventual execution. These tracks include a controversial 鈥淪e N茫o Fosse a TV鈥� (If There Was No Television, 2017), and its sequence track 鈥溾�� by Chimoio rapper Extraterrestre, produced by legendary Chimoio producer Az-Pro.

Extraterrestre: 鈥淪e N茫o Fosse a TV鈥�, production: KDS, music video: Bless Ngonhama.

 

 鈥淪acred Munhava鈥�

The article starts and finishes its analysis by citing Duplo V鈥檚 鈥淪agrada Munhava鈥� (Sacred Munhava, 2015, produced by Mr. Get). Impressed of its performance in the first edition of Punhos no Ar festival in 2016, I actually intended to refer to this track in the main title of the 鈥淪onic Biography鈥� before the article had taken its final focus. Currently the studio version where I transcripted the cited lyrics, cannot be found online, but below you can see the first live performance in 2017 as well as another one in 2020, as an acapella, which was performed online during the Covid 19 restrictions. Please note that he omits the name of the dominant party in the latter performance either by his own initiative or as requested.    

 

Duplo V: 鈥淪agrada Munhava鈥�, Beira, 2017.  

 

鈥淪agrada Munhava鈥�, acapella version, Punhos no Ar Festival, Maputo, 2020.

Y-Not麓s two tracks from his Cl谩ssico Hip Hop Time awarded double album As 脷ltimas Palavras (Last Words, 2010) are discussed extensively in the article. The first, 鈥淥 Tempo que Passou鈥� (The Time That Has Passed) narrates a history of early post-independent Mozambique, including re-education camps and their most eminent detainees such as Uria Simango.

     

Y-Not: 鈥淥 Tempo que Passou鈥�.

 

The track鈥檚 refrain intertextually refers to well-known revolutionary hymn 鈥淣茫o Vamos Esquecer鈥� (We Shall Not Forget), which revokes suffered discrimination and cruelty during the colonial era.

 

鈥淣茫o Vamos Esquecer鈥� (traditional, We Shall Not Forget) as Grupo Coral Xonga Voice鈥檚 performance.

 

驰-狈辞迟鈥檚 鈥溾��, with participations of Azagaia, 4 Ases and Stupa Serious, from the same 2010 album is discussed in the article in a relation to Frelimo鈥檚 internal struggle in the end of the 1960s. The track reflects violent resolution of Frelimo鈥檚 conflict where Uria Simango became outnumbered in the troika by Samora Machel and Marcelino dos Santos, expulsed and eventually detained and executed. The main target of the track is Marcelino dos Santos who was labelled as a living coward. As an interesting anecdote, a triangle between Josina Machel (originally Muthemba), Samora Machel and Filipe Samuel Magaia, referenced in the 鈥淪onic Memory鈥� has a materialisation in Maputo麓s city plan, either intentionally, subconsciously or entirely by coincidence: parallel avenues of two military commanders are both crossing with Avenida Josina Machel in a downtown (Baixa) of the city.   

 

I couldn鈥檛 identify any other tracks that refer to Marcelino Santos except Id贸neo Pariela鈥檚 (2019) 鈥淒eclara莽玫es de um L铆der, Vol. 2鈥� (produced by El Capo) where recently died Marcelino dos Santos goes to heaven and meets Renamo commander Afonso Dhlakama who has been there already for a while. The track samples shortly Marcelino Santos鈥檚 in the Angolan radio, archived online. The representation of Dos Santos is quite negative considering that he arrives to heaven. Also, when Cl谩ssico Hip Hop Time paid tribute to Dos Santos in 16 February 2020, no any tribute tracks were broadcasted, but only spoken audios.

Some Artists鈥� Online Channels

Official.

Official.

Rap Face.

驰-狈辞迟鈥檚 .

 

Selected Written Sources

All the written sources can be found in the article鈥檚 footnotes. I will confine myself here to listing only the most relevant historical sources that are directly related to the debates in which the tracks contribute.

U. Simango, 鈥�, the 3rd of November 1969.

 . President of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) Speaks to Africa鈥�, Africa, 46, 1975.

 鈥淢arcelino dos Santos: 鈥樷�欌赌�, Canal de Mo莽ambique, the 17 May 2006.

The article itself is archived

Thank you for professor J. Griffith Rollephson鈥檚 CIPHER (International Council for Hip Hop Studies) unit at 晚上福利在线观看 Cork to provide space for this media companion.

Thanks a million for all artists who provided their music and knowledge to this research.

 

Writing was partially supported by funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk艂odowska鈥揅urie grant agreement number 101033296 (Performing Political Memory as Hip Hop Knowledge in Mozambican Rap).