A mural honouring the 90th birthday of Mozambican musician Xidimingwana was unveiled on 10 November at the Prédio Salazar building in the Malhangalene neighbourhood of Maputo. The work was created by Mozambican visual artist Sebastião Coana and was supported by Millennium bim.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the president of the Maputo Municipal Council, Rasaque Manhique, and formed part of the programme marking the 139th anniversary of the elevation of the Mozambican capital to city status. According to a statement from the bank, the work originated from a challenge issued by the Maputo Municipal Council to artist Sebastião Coana and establishes “a bridge between two generations of Mozambican artistic creation, reinterpreting the journey of one of the great references of marrabenta through the eyes of a contemporary artist.”
“Xidimingwana, the stage name of Domingos Matias Honwana, was born in 1936 in Bilene-Macia, in Gaza province. His contact with music began in childhood, when he learned to play the xigogogwani, a handcrafted guitar made from a tin can. From that experience, he built a career spanning several decades, marked by the interpretation of Mozambican stories, rhythms and lived experiences through voice and guitar,” the statement reads.
For Rui Pedro, chairman of the Executive Committee of Millennium bim, the tribute recognises the place Xidimingwana holds in national culture. “Celebrating Xidimingwana at 90 is recognising what his music represents for Mozambique. His songs have accompanied different generations and helped us tell and understand many of our own stories. By supporting this mural, we want to contribute to keeping his journey visible in the city and to allow it to be discovered by those who are not yet familiar with the breadth of his work,” Rui Pedro said.
According to the bank, the mural aims to go beyond celebrating Xidimingwana’s 90th birthday, embedding the musician’s history and legacy into the daily life of the city. The work transforms the building’s facade into a meeting point between music, painting and collective memory, extending the tribute well beyond the inauguration ceremony.
Through its support for the initiative, Millennium bim joins the Maputo Municipal Council and artist Sebastião Coana in recognising Xidimingwana’s contribution to Mozambican music. Installed in Malhangalene, the mural serves as a point of memory for those who have followed his work over the decades and as an invitation to new generations to discover the musician’s journey.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=560190
