http://afropopshop.org/New Music From Eyuphuro on Calabash Music2008-11-21T06:37:58ZThe Calabash Music Teamsupport@calabashmusic.comYellelahttp://eyuphuro.afropopshop.org/#album_643212006-12-12T07:40:55ZMusic from YellelaAfter years of silence the ‘golden voice of Mozambique’, Zena Bacar, is back with the return of Eyuphuro, reuniting musicians from the original band with other new talents. Together with songwriter and singer Issufo Manuel, she has written new songs full of melancholy and powerful rhythm to create this long-awaited comeback album, Yellela. Founded in 1981 by Omar Issa, Gimo Remane and vocalist Zena Bacar (previously a fishing woman), Eyuphuro became the most successful music group from Mozambique. The excellent percussionists Mussa Abdala and Belarmino Rita Godeiros then joined and the group started touring in Europe and America, finding critical acclaim and their place in the world music panorama with their first album Mama Mosambiki. Recorded in 1989 in Toronto and London, it was the first international release by a Mozambican group. It seemed like a success story just about to start, but the group very soon began to dissolve. The group split up when bandleader Gimo Remane left Mozambique and married in Denmark; and in the same year Zena Bacar’s only son, a pilot, died in a plane accident. The third group founder, Omar Issa, left the group for family reasons. Eyuphuro reformed in 1998, and producer Roland Hohberg - a fan of Eyuphuro since seeing one of their last international concerts ten years earlier in Germany - helped the group with equipment and finding rooms to rehearse in . Under the difficult local conditions in Mozambique the group recorded their new album, Yellela, in Hohberg’s Mozambique Recordings studio in Maputo. Eyuphuro toured during the summer of 2000 in four European countries, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). At the beginning of 2001 another important step was made: after fourteen years, Omar Issa joined the band again and together they prepared the tour of this album. The music of Eyuphuro (which means ‘whirlwind’ in the Macua language) has its origins in the island of Mozambique. The island is located in the north of Mozambique and is linked to the mainland by a 3.5 kilometre tollbridge. Their lyrics are strongly connected with the way of life of the inhabitants and their natural environment: fishermen with their typical canoa sailboats and women with their faces painted with msiro - a cosmetic made by grinding a tree that grows near the coast. The album reflects the island of Mozambique’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 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, the homeland of most of the Eyuphuro members, and as rhythms learned early in their childhood the songs reflect the shared cultural legacy of the people of Mozambique. The island has been recognised and selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and, in a similar way, the music of Eyuphuro plays an important part in the Mozambican cultural heritage. 1 Ohawha / Suffering 3:34 (Issufo Manuel) We love our African continent But it is full of problems We are killing ourselves We are hurting ourselves We are destroying what belongs to us Why doesn’t this war stop? Why don’t these conflicts find an end? This continent is full of promises Full of fruit and trees And there is enough water for all 2 Othiawene / My Faraway Love 4:38 (Zena Bacar) Oh my friends, how it hurts To know that my love is so far away I am unable to sleep Because each sound Makes me think he is coming back Because he took all My feelings away I don’t even feel it If someone hurts me 3 Muanadjulu / Nightbird 4:44 (Issufo Manuel) Each child is lucky Nearby his mother And by his father I looked for you everywhere If you come back to me To me and our children You can ask everyone 4 Yellela / This Is It 2:39 (Zena Bacar) My sister We are living together under one roof But if you talk with my husband about me You are gossiping using bad expressions Do you want to destroy our marriage? You don’t know how difficult it is To find a husband 5 Ethuila Exeni / What’s happening? 5:30 (Issufo Manuel) Please let me know old men If what we are going through now Has happened before In the past they said That there will come a time Where old and young Will not respect each other anymore 6 Orera Kurrera / False Vanity 5:16 (Zena Bacar) He dresses well all the time But he destroys the marriages of others He believes in Islam But not in AIDS and the consequences of alcohol She looks quite young But leave her children alone She dresses herself elegantly With vestments paid by her husband 7 Masikini / Poverty 5:11 (Issufo Manuel) Stop laughing If you meet a poor man Stop laughing If you meet a lunatic Talking to himself 8 Ohiyu / At Night 4:18 (Zena Bacar) At night I can’t get to sleep Thinking of you (Chorus) Woman: Tell me what you see if you look in my eyes? Tell me what you hear when we are talking? What do you think about if you are alone? If you don’t love me be honest and tell me So that I don’t have to be worried anymore Sincerity is not an insult It is a way to ease my worries Man: Don’t worry I will marry you 9 Africa 5:47 (Issufo Manuel) How the times are changing Daily news tells of killing Day by day I see children without hope Searching in the rubbish for something to eat They say that they still have family members All these pictures from Angola, Ethiopia and Somalia 10 Ayaka / My Husband 6:23 (Zena Bacar) My husband likes it if I go down to the river To fetch the water He likes to see me washing the laundry And when I cook he starts smiling Most of all he likes it When I go to work in the fields But if I want to learn something he starts to get angry If I want to go to the church he hurts me If I mention the word ‘school’ He gets jealous and asks If I intend to have a higher education than him Appearing on this album are Zena Bacar (vocal, composer) Issufo Manuel (vocal, composer) Mussa Abdala (lead percussion) Belarmino Rita Godeiros (rhythm percussion) Jorge Cossa (percussion) Firmino Luis Hunguana (bass) Mahamudo Selimane (guitar) Guest appearances by Mariamo Mussa Hohberg (vocal) Orlando da Conceicao (saxophone) Benedito Mazbuko (keyboard) All tracks arranged by Eyuphuro All tracks published by Riverboat UK Music Recorded and mixed at Studio Mozambique Recording in Maputo by Roland Hohberg email promusic@teledata.mz Liner notes and photographs by Roland Hohberg UK coordination by Duncan Baker Special thanks to Phil Stanton, Sandra Alayón-Stanton and all at World Music Network, Roberto Chitsondzo (Ghorwane), Benedikt Guentert (SDC) Designed by COG Design Also available on Riverboat Records: Mabulu – Karimbo (TUGCD1021) Visit www.worldmusic.net to listen to sound samples of all World Music Network and Riverboat Records releases]]>