Nhambavale

They take their name from Lago Nhambavale in Mozambique. With just string instruments and voices, they bring to life the songs and stories of the Chopi, Tsonga and Shona.

Nhambavale is a lagoon in the Mozambican province of Inhambane, as well as a legend associated with it: Anyone venturing into the lagoon without the accompaniment of one familiar the place will never find his way out again. All the more reason to let the five-member ensemble of master musicians, Nhambavale, initiate us into the local secrets. Working exclusively with string instruments (violin, double bass, guitars) and voice, the band around Rui Fernandes Pinto Martins, composer and founder of the Tchovarte talent factory in Maputo, brings to life the traditional styles muthimba, ngalanga and marrabenta. And the singers Sergio Muiambo and Argentina Luis spread out songs and stories before us in the local languages Chopi, Tsonga and Shona.