Rest in peace Chico Antonio – a Mozambican legend

Chico António was a versatile singer and musician who, during his 40 year career, became one of the leading icons of contemporary Mozambican music. From a difficult childhood as a goat herder in the provinces and then street kid in Maputo, he started singing in choirs and took up the trumpet and flute, which led to him joining some of the most prominent groups in the country such as Instrumental Group No.1, RM (Radio Mozambique Group) and Orquestra Marrabenta Star de Moçambique, with whom he toured the world. In 1990, he won the Radio France Internationale Prix Découvertes for new talents with the song “Baila Maria”, resulting in a grant to study composition and arrangement in Paris under the mentorship of Manu Dibango. He released his first album in 1991, and on Dibango’s advice, he finished his studies and returned to Mozambique, where he immersed himself in the traditional musical cultures of his country, and through various collaborations explored the possibilities of fusing them with international influences, as well as composing for cinema and theatre. He released 2 more albums under his own name, “Carretilha de Cocos” (2001) and “Memorias” (2015), as well as many joint projects with, among others with South Africa’s Madala Kunene, Reunion’s Grèn Sémé or the French-Tunisian Smadj.

It was perhaps inevitable that when Mark came to visit Mozambique in December 2021, his path would cross Chico’s, and a warm bond between them sprung up immediately when they met. After an hour or two of exchanging musical stories, the urge to play together became overwhelming, and they borrowed an extra guitar and started jamming and swapping songs, backing up each other’s compositions with an uncanny intuition despite the diversity of styles. An impromptu gig was arranged for the new duo in a Maputo bar for a few days later, and before Mark returned to Europe shortly thereafter, they vowed to build on this promising debut. Mark came back to Mozambique in March 2022, and they played live shows at the Mozambico-German Cultural Centre, and, with percussionist Julio Mariquel, at the legendary Maputo music venue Gil Vicente. In May Chico invited Mark to come back and join him and an all-star lineup for a concert at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre in Maputo, which was filmed for national television. Mark started contributing to the album which Chico was recording with the Austrian producer and musician Roland Pickl and his band The Next, who have been based in Mozambique for some years, and set up a recording studio in Inhambane, on the coast of central Mozambique. Sadly the studio burned down, and with it the unfinished album. Mark and Chico continued working together on further concerts and plotted various recording projects, and a late night comment by Chico inspired the title track of Mark’s forthcoming album, “Fighting with your Shadow”.  They planned to record Chico’s vocal on the track, and film a video clip in Maputo in early February 2024, but Chico died suddenly a few weeks before Mark arrived back in Mozambique. RIP Chico Antonio.