Música e insurgência militar: o caso da guerra civil em Moçambique, 1976-1992

Abstract

In the history of the struggle for liberation of Southern Africa from colonial rule, music played an important role in mobilizing combatants, disseminating political ideology and consoling the bereaved. Indeed, a considerable number of scholars have focused on studying the role of music in the resistance against colonial exploitation and, in particular, on the contribution of music to the liberation struggle. In the case of Mozambique, there is a rich musical repertoire that reveals a teleological history of resistance that culminated in the founding of FRELIMO, the military front that waged the armed struggle for the liberation of Mozambique. This culminating work analyses the history of the sixteen-year war in Mozambique beyond the narratives of blaming and demonizing the other. Through an approach focused on the intense cultural activity in RENAMO’s bases and areas of influence, the research reexamines the construction of RENAMO’s image through music, song and dance. The paper argues that music and song played an important role in RENAMO’s political and military mobilization. Through music and song, RENAMO countered the government’s musical propaganda, which portrayed RENAMO as a band of evildoers. Through archival research and oral interviews with former RENAMO guerrillas and other people who lived in areas under RENAMO influence, the research brings to light the lyrics of songs sung at social events held in those areas. It analyses the content and rhythm of these songs as symbols of rebellion, political ideology and consolation. It concludes that, similar to the government’s mobilization of musicians against the RENAMO insurgency, this rebel movement also used music to advance its political and military agenda. In the process, it contributed to the dissemination of certain musical genres and cultural expressions that came to be associated with the areas under its political and military influence, thus contributing to the cleansing of the barbaric image constructed in the meanders of the government.