The magic happens when you listen to Marrabenta, Mozambique’s distinctive national music, an energetic mix of local dance rhythms and folk music from Portugal.
The word itself is derived from the Portuguese verb rebentar, meaning “to break”.
Some say this refers to the instruments used to play the music, originally tin-can guitars and wooden boxes with strings. Due to the flimsy nature of their improvised construction, they were particularly prone to breaking.
Others suggest it describes the dancing style: sprightly, bouncy, best approached with a “dance until you break” attitude.
But according to Dilon Djindji, an 85-year-old Marrabenta legend whose career can be traced back to 1938, it was his very showmanship that spawned the term: his intensity on stage was such that it could break the emotional barrier with the audience.
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Pandza has more groove, it’s more aggressive, and it’s richer in scope, incorporating additional instruments on top of Marrabenta’s guitars and drums.
It is just a decade old, but it’s gathering followers rapidly.
And yet, this doesn’t mean that Marrabenta will soon be a thing of the past. It’s all still there. Deeply etched into the groove.
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