COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Riverboat/World Music Network
PERFORMER: Mabulu
CATALOGUE NO: TUG CD 1021
Starting out with funkier bass and steelier guitar, MABULU turns out to be less subtle and more adventurous. It’s a supergroup formed in Mozambique from established bands at the instigation of an expat German and a Swiss NGO (non-governmental organisation), bringing together a throaty veteran, a melodious rapper, and a sparky Afro-Chinese female voice. One song is a flood lament written and recorded during a major upheaval in early 2000. The mix doesn’t always gel, but there’s plenty of energy which should bode well for it as a travelling national emblem.