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 southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. 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 (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, 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 popul ...

'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

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

, achieving international fame with songs such as ''Loko ni kumbuka Jorgina'' ("When I remember Jorgina"); 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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

elements as well as influences of South African

kwela Kwela is a pennywhistle-based street music from southern Africa with jazzy underpinnings and a distinctive, skiffle-like beat. It evolved from the marabi sound and brought South African music to international prominence in the 1950s. The music h ...

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