Fany Pfumo (also spelled Fany Mpfumo) (Lourenço Marques, October 18, 1928 – Maputo, November 3, 1987) was a Mozambican-born singer who was mainly active in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He is considered one of the founders and of the prominent artists in the

marrabenta Marrabenta is a popular style of Mozambican dance music combining traditional Mozambican dance rhythms with Portuguese folk music. It was developed in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, during the 1930s and 1940s. Etymology The name may be ...

style scene. Born to a poor family, he started his career playing an "oil tin guitar" in

Maputo Maputo () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,088,449 (as of 2017) distributed ov ...

's suburbs but later moved to

in search of a better living.S. Broughton, M. Ellingham, R. Trillo, eds., ''World Music: The Rough Guide. Africa, Europe, and Middle East, vol. 1'', p. 580. Se
extract on GoogleBooks
/ref> In Johannesburg, Pfumo had the opportunity to record with

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

, achieving international fame with songs such as ''Loko ni kumbuka Jorgina'' ("When I remember Georgina"); this one, in particular, remains one of the best known songs of marrabenta and Mozambican pop music. After achieving international fame in South Africa, Pfumo eventually returned to Mozambique. Pfumo's trademark style is characterized by the mix of marrabenta rhythms with

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

elements as well as influences of South African

kwela Kwela is a genre of street music originating from southern Africa. It is distinguished by its prominent use of the pennywhistle, jazz-inspired elements, and a distinctive skiffle-like rhythm. It evolved from the marabi sound. Kwela brought South ...

music. He played in a number of bands during the 1950s and 1960s but also recorded several solo singles.

Partial discography

Singles

Pfumo's singles include: * ''Leswi Wene Unga Xonga'' * ''Famba Ha Hombe'' * ''A Vasati Va Lomu''

Compilations

* ''Nyoxanine''

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfumo, Fany 1928 births 1987 deaths 20th-century Mozambican male singers Mozambican expatriates in South Africa