The group comes from the island of Mozambique, in the north of the country, and linked to the mainland by a 3.5 km toll bridge. Their music reflects the island’s role as a meeting point of African, Arabic and Latin cultures dating back to the eighth century, which has created a fusion of musical influences.
Eyuphuro (meaning whirlwind in the Macua language) is also an important representative of traditional Mozambican rhythms such as tufo, namahandga, masepua, djarimane, morro and chakacha. These are long-established rhythms from the northern province of Nampula, bordering Tanzania, and the homeland of most of the band members.
Eyuphuro were founded in 1981 by Omar Issa, Gimo Remane and vocalist Zena Bakar (previously a fishing woman) and soon became the most successful music group from Mozambique. In 1989 – 91 their tours of Europe and USA garnered much critical acclaim and they recorded Mama Mosambiki, one of the greatest recordings ever produced from the region.
Discography:
Mama Mosambiki (Real World Records, 1990)
Akatswela (Mapiko Discovideo, 1990)
Yellela (Riverboat Records, 2001)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
