Category Archives: Mozambique

Bongiwe Dlamini was born in Swaziland on the 29th of September 1973, and grew up in Simunye in the Lowveld. While in Swaziland, she engaged with people from all parts of the continent and the world; Swaziland was during the 70s and 80s an alternative destination and exile for many due to Apartheid in South Africa. She relocated to Johannesburg in the 90s and began performing professionally as a musician in Johannesburg in 1995.

Whilst living shortly in Italy, she sang in a cruise ship for six months, coming down from Italy, though, Israel, Egypt, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and South Africa. Bongiwe is a member of the Trio Spirits Indigenous, a Afrocentric musical group that has performed in several spaces in Mbabane, at the Bushfire Festival and at the Grahamstown Cape Town. The other band members are Thobile Magagula and Gcebile Dlamini. Bongiwe has chosen Maputo as her creative base, where she now lives.

Raul Alves da Silva Calane

Mozambican writer and essayist Raul Alves da Silva Calane was born in the city of Maputo on 20th October 1945. He grew up and studied in the city. Very early in his life he began and was involved with journalism and literature. He led the Gazeta Artes e Letras da revista Tempo (Gazette of Arts and Letters of the Time Magazine) in 1985, and was appointed in 1987, head of the editorial board of the national television, then called “Televisao Experiemental de Mocambique” (Experimental Television of Mozambique). He also became a founding member and board member of the Association of Mozambican Writers.
He earned a master’s degree in Portuguese Linguistics from the University of Porto, with a dissertation on “Pedagogia do léxico : as escolhas lexicais bantus, os neologismos luso-rongas e a sua função estilística e estético-nacionalista nas obras Xigubo e Karingana wa Karingana de José Craveirinha” (The Pedagogy of the lexicon: the Bantu lexical choices, the neologisms Luso-Ronga and its stylistic and aesthetic function in the works and Xigubo Karingana wa Karingana of Jose Craveirinha).
Calane da Silva is currently a lecturer at the Language Centre of Universidade Pedagogica (Pedagogical University) and the Director of the Centro Cultural Brasil-Moçambique (Cultural Centre Brasil-Mozambique), both in Maputo. He is also the author, editor of several essays, novels and anthologies, which include: Dos meninos da Malanga. Maputo, Cadernos Tempo, 1982 (Poetry); Xicandarinha na lenha do mundo. Maputo, Associação dos Escritores Moçambicanos, 1988. Colecção Karingana (Short Stories). Gotas de Sol. Maputo, Associação dos Escritores Moçambicanos, 2006 (novel); A Pedagogia do Léxico. O Estiloso Craveirinha. As escolhas leixicais bantus, os neologismos luso-rongas e a sua função estilística e estético-nacionalista nas obras Xigubo e Karingana wa Karingama. Maputo, Imprensa Universitária, 2002 (Thesis Publication); Nyembêtu ou as Cores da Lágrima. Lisboa. Texto Editores. 2008 (Novel).

Sininho Paco

Sininho Paco (Licínio Paco.) He was born in Maputo, Mozambique on August 23, 1977. He embraced music, dance, theatre and reading from an early age and found himself in poetry and uses it as a window to tweak the universe. This turned him into a devourer of words and a poet of love and sorrow who embraces the world.

In 2003, along with friends and respected Mozambican musician Stewart Sukumah, he delved into the adventure of performing poetry with music, which culminated in the creation of the arts movement “SEM CRITICA” which, with the aim of promoting culture, created space for new poets and musicians. He began performing live at concerts, workshops with university and High School students in Maputo, and other spoken word events. He has participated at all SEM CRITICA performances, from 2003 to date.

In 2005 he won a creative writing contest organised by the Bank Millennium Bim (BCP). He has participated in the Festival “The Power of Voice” organised by the British Council. In 2006, he won the Honourable Mention at biennial TDM-Telecommunications of Mozambique Creative Writing Contest. Internationally he has participated in the Poetry Africa Festival in Durban, South Africa, the 1st poetry festival in Paris and the International Poetry Festival Lusofonia in Boston, Masachusetts.

Given his passion for photography and other visual arts, he was commissioned to translate the images into poetic space for the Photography and Poetry Exhibition called “Crossroads” of the Mozambican photographer Bocarro Hunguana, held in Geneva, Switzerland and as well as photographer Mauro Pinto. He also contributed to Deidre Watson photography exhibition “Tacteando Momentos”. In the field of painting, he participated in the exhibition “Africa en el alma” by Ruth Banon, held in Spain, Alicante, and sculpture exhibitions by Gonçalo Mabunda, in Mozambique and Paris. Currently, Licinio Paco (Paco Tinkerbell) participates in various collaborations with spoken word artists in Maputo and abroad. He is also working on the last bits and pieces to edit his first collection of poems The Drip of the Soul.

Queen Lariuskus

Queen Lariuskus, aka, Lara Mondlane is a Mozambican born poet, photographer and film professional. She moulded herself and her passions in the course of her travels around the world, particularly whilst living in London, and Cape Town. In Cape Town, Queen Lariuskus formed the group LAGAMA, together with Gabriela and Marina, two close friends. They performed live in various spots in Cape Town and brought the project to Maputo.

Now back in Maputo for an indefinite time, Queen has been involved in promoting various artists and cultural events. Recently, she worked as a continuity supervisor in prize winning Short Films produced by Mahla Filmes for Nweti-Communication for Health (an affiliate of SOUL CITY INSTITITUTE). Queen has chosen cinema and photography to express what she often would say in words and is enjoying the ride.

Tina Mucavele