Chit-chat: Stewart Sukuma

stewart sukuma mocambique mocambinos world music fusion nkhuvu Stewart Sukuma is one of Mozambique's premier musicians, who also has a Kora nomination for best male music video in the Channel O African Music Video Awards 2005 Edition. His music style is different from the marrabenta, pandza and hip hop styles we've seen from the Mozambican presence on Museke.com so far. We asked him a number of questions about Mozambican music and his own personal career. Below is the transcript of the interview

Museke.com: Hello, how are you?
Sukuma: I am good & happy.

Museke.com: Can you tell us about your background and family?
Sukuma: Originally named Luis Pereira, I was born in a small town in the interior of Mozambique (Cuamba/Niassa ) and grew up with my four sisters in Quelimane, capital of the Mozambican province of Zambezia, where my family lived on the modest wages that my father earned as a truck driver.

Museke.com: How did you get interested in music?
Sukuma; I received my first toy guitar at a Christmas party for disadvantaged children, and little I did realize that this would be my launching pad to a serious career as a musician. Well, here I am…

Museke.com: What was your first big break in music?
Sukuma: Julieta, a song I’ve recorded in 1992 at the local radio station, became the most popular song in the next years, people still sing that song…

Museke.com: How many albums have you recorded and what are some of your major achievements?
Sukuma: I’ve recorded 3 albums and several features in compilations around the world and besides being one of the most awarded musician in Mozambique I studied some music at Berklee college of music.. but the most important achievement is the recognition from the people of Mozambique as a fighter for the justice and HIV/AIDS through music and art.

Museke.com: Which musicians did you listen to growing up?
Sukuma: Fany Mpfumo, Hortencio Langa, Jose Mucavele (Mozambique) Salif Keita, Youssou N’dour, Toure Kunda. Lokua Kanza, Djavan, Caetano Veloso, Tom Jobim, Bobby McFerrin, etc

Museke.com: Which African musicians do you admire (presently)?
Sukuma: Richard Bona, Lokua Kanza, Moktar Samba, Asa, Ettienne Mbappe and Angelique Kidjo

Museke.com: What has been your most challenging song to write and why?
Sukuma: Muliba (Afrikiti) I have played everything in that song, but the guitar and Flugelhorn! Jimmy Dludlu did the guitar and Hugh Masekela did the flugelhorn! To many across lines and a very bumpy song with different colors.. and still you can listen to every instrument…

Museke.com: What have been your most memorable or favorite collaborations with other musicians?
Sukuma: Collaboration with Lokua Kanza and Elizah ( Two tracks on my new CD, Tingalava and Wulombe )

Museke.com: Which musicians would you like to collaborate with?
Sukuma: Angelique Kidjo, Djavan, Bobby mcFerrin, Pablo Milanes, Zakir Hussein and Chaurasia

Museke.com: What kind of music do you do and why this style?
Sukuma: Fusion: Mozambican Traditional & Popular & Pop. It is very important to prevail and remain faithful to our tradition without forgetting the music evolution

Museke.com: What is the inspiration behind your music? What inspires you to write your music?
Sukuma: The people, the stories of the people, tradition of the people…

Museke.com: Have various major events in Mozambique’s history affected your music career and what you sing about?
Sukuma: Yes! Independence! The civil war! Floods!

Museke.com: Do you think music from Luso-Africa is different from Francophone and Angolphone Africa? How different is it?
Sukuma: Yes, it is different because of the language (Portuguese) and the Arabic influences with 15 different local languages! We are also surrounded by English speaking countries which makes the blend even more interesting. We are very close to Brazil as well (same colonizer)

Museke.com: What record label are you on?
Sukuma: I am with a local company called “Nstudios” I was with EMI before for Africa and Tropical Music for Europe.

Museke.com: What are your future plans?
Sukuma: Touring Europe in June with my band from Mozambique and record my next project and build a studio in Maputo and start my brand clothing company.

Museke.com: What challenges do you face in the music industry (piracy, payola (paying deejays to play music), etc)?
Challenges in Moz are several from piracy to re organizing the entire music industry including distribuition and selling mechanism…

Museke.com: People talk about how digital distribution is allowing musicians to sell their music easily and that the record label is dying. Do you think the record label is dying? Do you think record labels are important for African musicians or they should stay independent (indie)?
Sukuma: I think we should use both… companies should allow musicians to sell their own product in the internet… the mechanics of distribuition is very complicated in Moz, in the other hand very few musicians in Africa have the tools to make a good promotion and distribuition.

Museke.com: A lot of Mozambican artistes have broken into the African scene through avenues like Channel O and MTV Africa. What do Mozambican artistes have to do to enter the African markets where Portuguese is not spoken?
Sukuma: Language is not the problem if the music is good! We have to make good music as anyone else in the world! We have to make music that identify us as Mozambicans! We need more money investing in the promotion of our music abroad. We need to work harder! I do not sleep as you can see! That’s why I am talking to you now!

Museke.com: Do you have any present engagements and works other than music?
Sukuma: I am a freelancer TV host and an advertiser.