Amazon.co.uk Review
For a while the powerful voice of Zena Bacar was not heard: with
Yellela, she and her band Eyuphuro triumphantly prove that she's back. Eyuphuro, whose aim was always to promote the music of their Macua ethnic group, were the first band in Mozambique to release a CD, and for a while in the 1980s they were celebrated on the European circuit, but then--like so many African groups at that time--the pressures drove them apart. It's great to meet them again, with their gentle acoustic backing over which Zena's voice rides serenely. Each of these 10 tracks is long enough for the guitars to work their spell with subtle changes in texture and colour: this music is old-fashioned in the best sense of the word. The lyrics--several by Zena herself--may also strike Western ears as old-fashioned, but that too is a plus. No brainless Western-style exaltation of sex and drugs: like so many other musicians from this part of Africa, Eyuphuro's concerns are sober and mature--preaching tolerance and restraint in the face of their country's massive problems of poverty and disease. But it's all done with infectiously cheerful warmth.
--Michael Church
Album Description
Zena Bacar, the `golden voice of Mozambique', is back with the return of Eyuphuro. After years of silence the original band members have reformed with other talented artists. Together with songwriter and singer Issufo Manuel, Bacar has written new songs full of melancholy and powerful rhythm to create the long-awaited comeback album, 'Yellela' released on Riverboat Records.
Eyuphuro became one of the most successful bands to emerge from Mozambique. The group formed in 1981 with Omar Issa, Gimo Remane and vocalist Zena Bacar and found international acclaim touring Europe and America. They were the first Mozambican group to record an international release with their album 'Mama Mosambiki'. Unfortunately the group split at the end of the 1980s, but that was not the end of their story. Zena Bacar reformed Eyuphuro in 1998 and began writing new songs with the singer and songwriter Issufo Manuel. With the help of long-time Eyuphuro fan and producer Roland Hohberg, who donated equipment and rooms to rehearse, the band recorded 'Yellela' at his Mozambique Recordings studio in Maputo.
Yellela is an evocative album of melancholy lyrics but moving rhythms that convey hope. Many of the songs powerfully express the anxieties of Africa's politics and the suffering of individuals as well as the African female experience. Eyuphuro come from the island of Mozambique, a small island connected to the mainland via a toll bridge. Their lyrics are strongly associated with the simple way of life of the islanders and their beautiful, natural environment. Within 'Yellela' there is always optimism for the future with traditional rhythms learnt by the musicians, in childhood, that reflect the musical fusion of the island of Mozambique's heritage as meeting point between African, European and Latin cultures.
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