Music and the Performance of Aspiration: The Case of Os Monstros in Late Colonial Lourenço Marques, Mozambique

In the late colonial period, a few Black Mozambicans were slowly improving their social and economic condition in the capital city of Lourenço Marques. Some individuals among the Black youth were strengthening their position in the cultural life of the city. In this article, I demonstrate the importance of popular music as an expression of the aspirations of Black youth within the agony of the colonial situation. I focus on a specific case, Os Monstros, a group of young Black musicians from the peripheral neighborhoods of Lourenço Marques, who built an important reputation in the city.