Artist page

Zé Manel is a renowned singer and multi-instrumentalist from Guinea-Bissau, born in Bissau on May 22, 1957. At the age of six, he formed a band to perform at boy scout camp, which soon expanded to play at weddings, baptisms, and birthday parties. By the age of seven, Zé had become the main attraction of the band, named Super Mama Djombo, inspired by the female spirit of a sacred offering place. Following Guinea-Bissau's independence from Portugal, Orchestra Mama Djombo emerged as a key expression of the new national identity. However, the pressures of success led to the band's dissolution by the mid-1980s. In 1982, Zé released his first solo album, Tustumunhos di Aonti (Yesterday's Testimony), which addressed the rise of a repressive ruling class and resonated deeply with the people of Guinea-Bissau. Due to the increasingly dangerous political climate, Zé was granted a scholarship to study abroad, which served as a means of silencing dissenting voices. He studied classical music, opera, and piano at a Portuguese conservatory and later performed in Paris before relocating to Oakland, California, to establish a studio. Zé Manel's second solo album, Maron di mar, marked his return to Guinea-Bissau for the first time since 1983 and resonated strongly with the populace, solidifying his status as a national hero

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