Artist page

Elias Dia Kimuezu, born Elias José Francisco on January 2, 1936, in the Marçal neighborhood of Luanda, Angola, is a renowned singer and musician. After becoming an orphan at the age of 7, he moved to his grandmother's house in the Sambizanga neighborhood at age 12, where he learned to speak Kimbundo fluently. His artistic journey began at 15 while attending Kimúngua Samba in Luanda, leading him to join "Turma do Margoso" as the main vocalist and bate-bate player. Two years later, he became part of the group "Os Kizombas," performing at the Malanjinho Room in Sambizanga. His talent grew, and in 1969, he was invited to represent Angola at the Folkloric Festival of the Portuguese Provinces in Portugal, performing with the Rebita group and receiving high praise from critics. This success led to the recording of several singles, including "Mualunga," "Resurreição," "Muenhu Ua Muto," and "Zum-Zum," featuring notable artists like Bonga and Rui Mingas. His works were launched at Cine-Restauração, a prestigious cinema in Luanda, and he was awarded the title of "Best Performer of the Angolan Song" by the CITA-Angola Information and Tourism Center. In 1972, he received a statuette recognizing him as one of the eleven outstanding figures