SINGERS from Mozambique

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Mozambican Singers of all time. This list of famous Mozambican Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Afric Simone (b. 1956)

With an HPI of 54.69, Afric Simone is the most famous Mozambican Singer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.

Henrique Joaquim Simone (born October 10, 1939), known professionally as Afric Simone, is a Mozambican vocalist, musician, performance artist, multi-instrumentalist, dancer and entertainer. He entered the European charts with his first hit "Ramaya" in 1975, which was followed by another well-known song, "Hafanana", which was released later the same year. Simone reached the peak of his popularity between 1975 and 1980 on both sides of the Iron Curtain, hence he toured the USSR, Poland, the GDR and Czechoslovakia in the Eastern Bloc, and retains that popularity even today throughout Europe. Simone is one of the most prominent African musicians, being one of the few musicians of Mozambican ethnicity who sold-out shows at major international venues including L'Olympia, The Royal Albert Hall and the Carnegie Hall.

2. Mariza (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 50.51, Mariza is the 2nd most famous Mozambican Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages.

Marisa dos Reis Nunes (born 16 December 1973), known professionally as Mariza (Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐˈɾizɐ]), is a Portuguese fado singer. Mariza was born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, to a Portuguese father, José Brandão Nunes, and a Mozambican mother, Isabel Nunes. When she was three years old, her family moved to Metropolitan Portugal, and she was raised in Lisbon's historic quarters of Mouraria and Alfama. While very young, she began singing in a wide variety of musical styles, including gospel, soul and jazz. Her father strongly encouraged her to adopt fado; he felt that participating in the traditional music would grant her greater acceptance in the Portuguese community. Mariza has sold over 1 million records worldwide.

3. António Calvário (b. 1938)

With an HPI of 44.63, António Calvário is the 3rd most famous Mozambican Singer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

António Calvário da Paz (born 17 October 1938) is a Portuguese singer and artist from the late 1950s and 1960s.