April - June 2017 •
The Lion King
• 25
Statue of Samora Machel - City Hall
South Africa 24.9%, China 10.2%, Italy
8.9%, India 8.9%, Belgium 7.9% and
Spain 4.4%.
Culture
Mozambique culture has survived
decades of colonialism which had
a deep effect on the Mozambican
people.
The Makonde, the predominant tribe
in the north are known for their ebony
sculptures and masks whilst the Chopi
in the south-central coast are remark-
able at their complex musical fusions
and dance. Mozambique’s tradition
of visual art is legendary with sev-
eral modern artists who have inter-
national recognition. One of famous
Mozambican artists is Malangatana,
Photo Credit: flickr.com/photos/F Mira
Photo Credit: Dan Gobe
whose creations mainly display the
history and sufferings of the colonial
period as well as the civil war which
Mozambique experienced.
Mozambique enjoys a vast range of
cultural and linguistic diversity. There
are variety of cultures clustered
together like in the Swahili language
speaking group, Islamic culture and
Bantu-speaking groups living in north-
ern and central regions. Zambezi val-
ley has a varsity of culture that is
astonishing. Linguistically they overlap
with neighbouring Malawi, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique’s traditional medicine is
an important segment of their cul-
ture. The traditional doctors known
as Curandeiros are highly in demand.
Ritual dances also form an impor-
tant part of Mozambican culture. The
Mapiko dance is one with interna-
tional popularity, the theme being the
spirit of a dead person and quite hor-
rifying for the spectators. The carved
wooden statues and sculptures and
masks of the Makonde inhabitants of
northern Mozambique and Tanzania
are very popular. Chopi orchestral
performances or Midogo are world
famous.
In spite of the variety of languages,
artistic traditions, social relationships,
clothing and ornamentation patterns,
there is always a common theme
of dynamic and innovative cultural
expression through song, dance,
oral poetry and performance in the
Mozambique Culture.
COUNTRY FOCUS
Photo Credit: Inésio Samuel
Municipal Building - Maputo
