Podcast
Selma Uamusse is always an event when she takes the stage. She is a musical riot, a serious case of attitude, determination and thunderous performance, which grows every time she releases her beautiful big voice. A voice that goes everywhere Selma wants, from Mozambique to Portugal, from the electronic of Moullinex to the classic of pianist Maria João Pires, to the hip hop of Valete, to the indie rock of Samuel Úria, to the neoclassical of Rodrigo Leão, to rock n´ roll of The Legendary Tigerman or the African universe of BATIDA. Author of 2 albums under her own name, “Mati” (2018) and “Liwoningo” (2020), Selma is preparing her “most intimate” album, which tells her story. And here she reveals a little about him and what moves her in music and in her life. Listen to it in the first part of this conversation with Bernardo Mendonça
Selma Uamusse is a great, versatile, multiple, whole and authentic artist who makes us move our bodies and sing with her beautiful songs, authentic humanist hymns, which bring us closer to each other, and which alert us to the value of love, of union, solidarity, peace or equality among all people.
Her predicates are not linked to her unquestionable talent, artistic quality and powerful vocal apparatus, but to the woman who is, attentive to others, to the most vulnerable, who sings the vision of the world in which she believes and dreams and who, through her voice, gives place and visibility to those who do not have it.
And this is so precious in a time of so much selfishness, individualism, hatred and trenches in which on the one hand we reach Japan in just one click – through social media – but on the other we are disconnected from the others next to us or in front of us, and there seems to be less time, desire and ability to listen and share. Can music save us from this perdition?
This is where the first part of this podcast conversation begins, which moves on to the public protests and police violence currently experienced in Mozambique, the country where he was born.
“I believe that these protests in Mozambique could be our spring, a paradigm shift in favor of the Mozambican people”, he states.
And he says: “The protests in Mozambique are deeper than the results of the elections. They are the result of a saturation of many years in which people do not feel seen, had or found. I am concerned about the fact that people are being silenced and that in a democratic state people do not have the freedom to speak out and say that things are not well.”
It is remembered at one point that, before being a singer, Selma was an engineer and had the dream of returning to her country, and to her city, Maputo, where she came from when she was just seven years old, to help rebuild her land. But through music he is rebuilding hearts and horizons for so many people.
Selma believes in the power of art, to awaken the most dormant or alienated spirits, and lives music as a life mission. Or, as she says, she has woven her faith with music.
With a career spanning more than two decades, sang with Gospel Collective, Cacique’ 97, or Wraygunn until launching under her own name, reconnecting with her Mozambican roots, author of 2 discs in your own name, “Matthew” (2018) and “The Study” (2020), here he reveals a little about what he is preparing for the next album. An intimate album, about her life and which features “A Garota Não”, among other artists.
Meanwhile, Selma has also given her body and voice on other stages, such as theater, cinema and the visual arts. And now even on the radio on the program “Cinco à Quinta”, on Antena 1.
Recently he performed under his own name in the show “Carta Branca a Selma Uamusse”, in the large auditorium of the CCB.
In the year in which 50 years of Freedom and the end of the dictatorship are celebrated in Portugal – and the liberation movements of Portuguese-speaking African countries are celebrated – this concert in the form of a letter to the Future, also proposed to exalt young people, post-war generations, providing them with a less unequal future, with shared and more distributed opportunities.
A musical letter to the future of a country capable of recognizing the injustices or inequalities that still persist. And how wonderful it was to see Selma welcoming Orquestra Geração that night, with young musicians from Amadora.
And equally remarkable was seeing her singing in that very rock n roll attitude – literally climbing the seats in the auditorium – seeking love and connection with those people all present – as if we were all from the same family or close friends – while singing about her Africa that runs in the blood. This special moment was covered in the podcast.
The singer doesn’t know if the song was born with her or if it gained dimension in itself. Her grandmother says that the day Selma was born, she had a dream. An angel appeared to her, informed her of the birth of her granddaughter and that she would have the mission of being “salt” and “light” in the world through her voice!
And Selma is just that. Well seasoned with salt, and very illuminated, with a powerful light, often directed at the invisible, consigned to the shadow, to the neighborhoods of lack of love.
And, at some point, the biases and prejudices regarding these territories treated unequally by the authorities are addressed.
Who is currently Selma Uamusse in the bread line? Or even in the traffic queue? (Because we know how people transform in these moments…)
These are the first questions thrown at Selma in this first part of the conversation.
As you know, the generic is signed by Marcia and has the collaboration of He had taken. The portraits are by José Fernandes. And the sound design of this podcast is João Ribeiro.
The second part of this episode will be released this Saturday morning. Happy listening!
