Mozambique film and music festival launches

The Azgo Festival is all about promoting Mozambican cultural heritage and artistic life as well as promoting Mozambique as a destination for music lovers, whilst creating a platform to promote music exchanges between local and international artists and establishing a network with music events and initiatives in Southern Africa, on the continent and overseas.

Sounds represented at the festival, happening at Eduardo Mondlane University, span everything from Afro soul to electro, marrabenta to coupé-décalé, hip-hop to kizomba, R&B to pop to dance to reggae, panza and much more!

This year’s line-up includes a wealth of talent from across the globe. Multi-award winning songstress Zahara and legendary DJ Kenzhero will be representing South Africa. From across the continent Azgo Festival will host Kenya’s award winning Afro-Pop band Sauti Sol; Angolan poet/musician Paulo Flores; Cape Verdean star Lura and Swazi soul singer Bholoja.

Azgo Festival welcomes diasporic African artists half Cameroonian, half New Zealander ‘electric blue witch hop-hop’ act Estère and Canadian Somali ‘doom soul’ artists Cold Specks.

From Mozambique, the festival will feature the Tributo a Alexandre Langa, featuring Yolanda Kakana, Roberto Chitsondzo, Muzilla, Wazimba; Mozambique’s biggest and most political hip-hop act Azagaia, dub/reggae stars Gran’mah and R&B/soul act Deltino Guerreiro; Timbila Muzimba and Xidimingwana represent the roots of Mozambique music with marrabenta and traditional rhythms; Afro Madjaha and New Joint bring the late night Afro-house vibes; and Neyma, Mr Bow, Denny OG and Bander represent Mozamique’s finest pop, coupé-décalé and panza.

Azgo also aims to contribute to artistic and cultural development and to create a greater awareness regarding cultural issues in Mozambique and Southern Africa, providing opportunities for professionalisation in the music industry, to involve local communities and create jobs.

In addition to their diverse music, film and dance program, Azgo hosts a dialogue and workshop program called Azgo Dialogar which are a platform for artistic and cultural development; as well as a music exchange between local and international artists, the promotion of Mozambican cultural heritage and artistic life, and opportunities for the professionalisation of the music industry in Mozambique.

Azgo Festival has a strong social responsibility mandate. In 2015, the theme was “Southern African Unity: Peace and Harmony”, this year the festival theme is on the crucial issue of climate change.

Azgo Festival has partnered with the Mozambican Association for Recycling (AMOR) to reduce its carbon footprint and ensure the best possible waste management practices are implemented. The festival donates 100% of festival profits to community-based organizations in Maputo.