Abstract

GOMES, Pedro David. Angolan Musicians and Protest Music in Portugal: Reflections to Decenter the History of “the Singers of April”. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais [online]. 2024, n.133, pp.77-96.  Epub Mar 31, 2024. ISSN 2182-7435.  https://doi.org/10.4000/11pr4.

Angolan protest music’s as a repertory that challenged the colonial system benefitted from the European careers of some of its artists. In this article, the absence of Angolan musicians among “the singers of April, or their non-recognition in the historiographical memory of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, is discussed. It explores some possible explanations for this, by comparing memories of the musicians with the treatment given to the most influential figures of Portuguese and Angolan cultures in the Dictionaries about the Estado Novo (dictatorial regime) and the 25th of April (the date of the revolution). In addition to identifying possible causes for these absences, the Eurocentric thinking underlying this “state of memories” is also examined, with counterarguments made as to the reasonableness of their inclusion within the categories of protest song.

Keywords : Angolan diaspora; April 25 1974; eurocentrism; Portuguese colonialism; protest song.

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