{"product_id":"cd-ze-david-mutudi-ua-ufolo-viuva-da-liberdade-cd","title":"Mutudi Ua Ufolo\/Viúva Da Liberdade","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt would be difficult to overstate the righteousness of David Zé’s heart. Raised in Angola while the Southern African country was still a colonial outpost of Portugal, regionally he’s considered an icon of resistance who used music as a weapon for liberation and reform. Zè was assassinated in 1977, two years after Portugal’s withdrawal, but in a nation still fractured and unstable. Speculation continues to swirl that governmental fear of his influential voice led to the killing; author and African studies professor Marissa Jean Moorman points out that while there are no definitive accounts of their deaths, the murders of Zé, and fellow musicians Urbano de Castro and Artur Nunes, were part of a “purge.”\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eRaised by parents who belonged to a Methodist church choir, Zé released a series of 7-inch singles throughout the early to mid-’70s. But it’s his 1975 album Mutudi Ua Ufolo \/ Viuva Da Liberdade, banned in Angola for a decade after his death, that provides the most complete vision of his artistry. Enter Jazzybelle Records who, with the blessing of Zé’s family, has overseen this 50th anniversary restoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eDespite this new remaster, the production retains a raw intimacy and power. At the album’s most upbeat, the sunny guitars invoke Nigerian highlife, while the snappy beats are derived from beautifully played hand drums—bongos are credited to Gregório Mulato, with additional percussion from João Lourenço Morgado, sometimes known as Angola’s “King of Drums.” At one point during “Nguma – Inimigo,” some melodious vocal tics, presumably by Zé, can be heard low-in-the-mix as he vibes to the joyful rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eSung in both Portuguese and local dialects, it’s the slower tunes such as “Ngongo Mua Ngola – Sofrimento Em Angola” and “A Luta Continua – O Nvunda Ki la Bue Lua” that show the depths of Zé’s vocal abilities. On the somber “Undenge Uami – A Minha Infância,” which translates to “My Childhood,” Ze uses his deep, soulful voice to share memories from “the mornings of persecution by the Portuguese settler.” His political fire lights up on “As Cinco Sociedades – O Isangela Itanu,” where he places capitalism in the lineage of feudalism and slavery in its requirement of mass exploitation.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLike many great revolutionary artists, Zé’s words can be applied to modern-day struggles, allowing activists to draw upon his wisdom and spirit. This reissue of Mutudi Ua Ufolo \/ Viuva Da Liberdade will hopefully ensure that a classic album of its type is there when the need is at its greatest.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MGM","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40427418386633,"sku":"856361","price":37.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0024\/9803\/5810\/files\/856361-Product-0-I-639063821401902426.jpg?v=1770785404","url":"https:\/\/www.jbhifi.com.au\/products\/cd-ze-david-mutudi-ua-ufolo-viuva-da-liberdade-cd","provider":"JB Hi-Fi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}