THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS OF FANY MPFUMO

Abstract

Fany Mpfumo is certainly one of the most emblematic musicians of Mozambique, being, for some, the King of the marrabenta style. His songs are known for their short, simple, repetitive, humorous and vibrant character. More than 30 years after the death of this artist, his music continues to delight Mozambican music lovers and inspires new generation of artists. However, from the point of view of scientific research on his life and work, there is still a lot of work to do. Bearing in mind that Fany Mpfumo lived in the context of transition from colonialism to independence, this article relies on historical method, literature review, analysis of lyrics, rhythm and melodies of selected songs to look at the representation of women in Mpfumo’s music. It departs from the premise that despite having lived in a context of objectification of women, a close look at Mpfumo’s music uncovers a complex view about the place of women in Mozambican society. On the one hand, Mpfumo exalts the social relevance of women. On the other, he is very critical to behavioral changes understood as deviating from the socio-cultural patterns of the time. Having emerged in a transitional period from conservative colonial modernism and a Marxist-Leninist nationalist radicalism, Fany Mpfumo's musical production reveals the artist's life experience and his immersion in the political and socio-cultural context in which he lived. Thus, Fany Mpfumo musical production discloses the imaginary of Mozambican society in transition about the role and place of women in society.