presents:
SIX STORIES FROM MOZAMBIQUE
© 1998 RADIO BRIDGE OVERSEAS TRUST


Maputo, capital of Mozambique

How could a regional organisation give the sectoral responsibility of Culture and Information to a country at the height of civil war?
Present day Mozambique is characterised by a wide diversity of languages, habits and customs amongst its citizens. Mozambique has had cultural interchanges with various peoples and civilisations longer than any other country in the region. This dates back to more than 400 years, when the country was said to be "discovered" by the famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. The coming centuries saw the arrival of traders from all corners of the globe, some of whom chose to stay there. Other African people also drifted into the country because of the trade with foreigners.
The arts still play an important role in every day life in that country. Music, literature, dance and drama, sculpture and painting, the modern forms of all these being influenced by foreign cultures on local inspiration. Because of this, Mozambican art is appreciated the world over.
Proof of Mozambique’s leading position in the arts is the fact that it has been, until 1992, the only African country, exhibiting at the prestigious Contemporary Art Pavillion Expo in Spain. Radio Mozambique’s Grupo do Radio Mozambique won the 1990 Grand Prize of the Radio France International sponsored Discoveries Music Contest, for example.

Downtown Maputo

The Radio Mozambique school of Music, Ecole Musico do Radio Mozambique, has been in existence since 1983. This morning, there is business as usual. It is the beginners class for five and six year olds.
"We teach music, classic music and leisure music," says Carlos Alberto. "We have eight classrooms but our classrooms are very few."
"I am not yet sure of what music I am going to play in the future, but for now, I can say that I will play Marrabenta music like my favourite musician, Ojanmuk Mukavelle," seven year old Jeremiezh Billa told us as he packed his guitar after another music lesson.

Marrabenta music is bright, lively and uptempo, with lyrics that celebrate life's pleasures in a country that has had more than its share of life's horrors; the lineup is two lead guitars, bass, drums, percussion, occasional keyboards, two trumpets and saxophone. Marrabenta fuses European harmonies with local melodies and rhythms in the usual fashion of modern African bands.

Listen / STORY 3 - / 03'30"
"How culture helped to survive - Cultural school in Maputo"

Mozambique’s future generation looks poised to keep the cultural fire burning in their country, we thought as a new lesson began for yet another group of young people.



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THE RBO PRODUCTION TEAM:

Research & Interviews in Mozambique:
Victor Desajado, Emmanuel Camillo, Fortune Ncube, Klaus Juergen Schmidt
Scripts:
Victor Desajado, Fortune Ncube, Klaus Juergen Schmidt
RBO-Interns attached to research at Cahora Bassa:
Holger Bock, Olaf Krems, Morris Nyakudya
Presenter:
Victor Desajado, Fortune Ncube, Dadirayi Chigoya, Shorai Kariwa
Translation in Mozambique:
Victor Desajado, Emmanuel Camillo, Lucia Rodriguez, Christina Maria Patricio
Technical Supervision at RBO studio:
Norbert Irmer & Nenad Kuzmic
Administration & Logistics:
Jennifer Chiriga & Dadiray Chigoya
Managing Editor & Director:
Klaus Juergen Schmidt