Mabulu

Formed in Mozambique during 1999, the African pop ensemble Mabulu blends hip-hop into its sound while drawing more sparingly on dancehall reggae. Producer Roland Hohberg, who spent his childhood in East Germany before relocating to Mozambique in 1990, sought to unite Mozambican artists across age groups, and the resulting lineup achieved that goal. At the older end of the spectrum stands Lisbao Matavel, a respected fixture in the local pop landscape who began performing in the early 1960s. When Hohberg oversaw the recording of the group’s first album, Karimbo, in March 2000, Matavel had reached the age of 62; by contrast, rapper Chiquito, also affiliated with the Mozambican hip-hop act Mad Level, was just 22. The sessions for Karimbo faced severe obstacles after catastrophic floods struck Mozambique that same March, yet the band finished the project and saw it issued later in the year by World Music Network. Additional contributors include Mr. Arssen, who supplies occasional dancehall-style toasting, along with vocalists António Marcus, another established Mozambican pop figure, and Alberto Mutcheca. The rhythm section draws three players from the Mozambican group Mix Malta: lead guitarist Zoco, bassist Eduardo, and drummer/percussionist Jorgito. Karimbo’s lyrics appear primarily in Shangana, with further passages in Ronga, a tongue close to Shangana, and in Portuguese.