CinemaAfrica 2025/26: A Conversation with ... Stewart Sukuma
Abstract
- Abstract
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In this video, legendary Mozambican musician Stewart Sukuma sits down for an in-depth conversation with Prof. Dr. Ute Fendler, curator of the Cinema Africa film festival in Bayreuth, Germany. Their discussion, recorded on 23 January 2026, explores Sukuma’s artistic journey, the intersections of music and film, and his role in the festival’s program. Sukuma was part of the festival’s opening night celebration for “The Anchorage of Time” (Ancoradouro do Tempo), a Mozambican/Portuguese crime drama screened at the 17th Cinema Africa film festival held at Cineplex Bayreuth a few days later. The conversation offers rare personal insights into Sukuma’s creative process and his reflections on African cinema, culture, and global artistic exchange.
For anyone interested a link to Stewart Sukuma's book is: https://www.poesiaimpossivel.com/o-alfaiate-e-a-arte-de-costurar-o-amor
Description
- Transcript
- Hello, welcome to Broid and to University of Brody Africa multiple. Um Stuart Sukuma, it's a great pleasure and a great honor that you have accepted to come to Broid in the cold in January 26. Um yeah, welcome to Broid and um I think it would be really very nice if you if you could talk first a little bit about who you are even I mean for those who might not know you and about your work because you have a not in the meantime quite a long and very successful career. >> Um I think successful career is discussible but I accept that. Thank you so much. My name is Stuart Sukuma and I born Luis Pereira and Stuart Sukuma is my uh my stage name and um I'm around doing music for four years now in Mozambique and around the world. Um and later I became also a writer. I have one book that was already written but I have two more books that I'm writing right now. Um so I am I am a recording artist and occasionally you know I I am an actor you know so I do act in movies >> very few but you know so I I I don't consider myself an actor active actor but that's something that I love the interpretation of uh of life >> in arts are very important so that's what I do so but basically my my my uh my core business is is music >> and this culture of course you know so I can act like advisor or I cannot act like someone who knows a little bit about Mozambi I don't know everything but I think I know the most important things in Mozambique about culture >> that's come because you you mentioned and um for because there's 40 years of Korea and so this is a collection of I think some of outstanding songs. Um, how did you start to I mean how did you become a m musician? >> Well um you know after the independence um there were a lot of groups that mushroomed you know in in my hometown. I am I am from Kimman. My parents are from Kimman. I was born in Kuwam but I am more familiar with with the kleman culture >> and um I was part while I was studying I was doing school I was part of these groups cultural groups that mushroomed first I started as a dancer you know >> when I was young between my 10th and 14 years old >> so and and being contact with the dance of course the dance comes from the music >> and there was like a live band playing. >> Mhm. >> You know, and and I said I want to be one of those guys playing. So I started to learn the guitar when I was like around 12 12 years old. >> Then when I moved to Maputo when I was 14, I just continuing. I had a band in the school and this became bigger bigger bigger bigger bigger. It grew up till you know I said okay I don't think I can live without being you know in the stage and music. Um, so and uh I grew up doing this. >> Yeah. >> And maybe you just mentioned your your band as well. Um maybe you can also say a little bit more about >> Yeah, I had a band in the school and actually I had a band in school with with Shield Tom was one of the first uh friends that uh you know we started together and after that you know so I I became professional and my first professional band was for and we used to play cover songs in in in nightclubs. we in Portuguese we called bu you know so and I was a night a night musician you know in interpreting you know songs from other artists you know for for a couple of years until >> let's say until 1982 1983 that I wrote my first song >> which is in this album actually in this music I can't and it was a regga song >> um And I was only Steuart because I mean this everyone in that time they had like um this I wouldn't call fake names but they were like our real names you know stage names but Stewart >> a Mosambican guy >> colonized by Portuguese and having like a very >> saxonic name like Stewart >> so >> was very weird and that's when Sukuma came But sukuma came also with another uh consciousness you know about African culture. So that's where >> you added sukuma. >> Yeah I added sukuma and I started to be more aware of >> how how to be a an African musician and a mozzaban musician. That's I started my studies on African cultures in general in mosab culture in >> in particular. >> Yes. And Sukuma was is or I mean originally you're in your African name. >> No, >> you also have chosen this name. >> I actually I didn't choose when I was recording at my first album in 1994 95. >> The producer said you know Stuart I'm going to give you a tip. you are an African artist and your in your songs I noticed that you said that word sukuma >> you know to to bring the people out like singing and say sukuma let's dance you know and said I think you should use you know so Cedric Samson and Fernando Pigan they were my producers in that album said you should use that name as a second name and then with the time you decide if you want to lose the first one and just keep Sukuma as your name I said okay I think it's a good combination Steuart Sukkuma you know and I think it sells. So we started like a campaign to sell sukuma and being part of my name. >> So later on >> I discovered that sukuma and suili is push. >> Okay >> and you know and I said this that's perfect because that's what I want to do with my music with moaban music. It's like the push and then I discovered there is a tribe called sukuma in Kenya. There is a stew, a food called sukuma. And in um >> in a poetical sense, sukuma means rise up. >> Mhm. >> Which is a very strong word for me for social um issues, you know, and if you want to bring people with you, it's rising. And every time that I I I tell this word, what comes up in my mind is that um rising up of Bob Marley. So when he's on the cover of the CDs, him with his very open, wide open arms, you know, and you know, saying to the people, let's rise up, >> you know. So and I think I mean I kept that all those combinations I think made more so very aware the importance that every every one of us we have in our societies that >> any contribution even smallest one is important if you if you want to make something like big >> yeah so it's a very meaningful name >> yeah yes everything goes together I don't think nowadays I choose anything just for a Yes, I choose because there is uh is significant you know it's yeah so yes of course and I think all my acts my behavior and everything has to be together with >> what I think my my life should be and my contribution >> to the world would be you know not you don't have two sukumas so actually Luis Pereira and Stuart Sukuma are exactly the same person so I'm not even though you know I uh my interpretation takes me to another level to a level where I can perform and I can represent a character you know I never forget where I come from and I never forget that there is this meaningful um thing that I want to follow you know to make sense in everything that I do in terms of package. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Maybe you can also talk a little bit about a little bit more about your music. Um because in I mean quite a long career um if people have a chance then to listen also to this CD they're very different uh genres of of music. So maybe you can say something about your favorite ones or how you choose them or it's a period so about the music. Um uh friendler I don't choose I don't choose I mean I think the music choose me and is you actually you meaning something that you know that's not a common question for me nobody ever asked me about that kind of question you know because I think it's very different as I told you my first song was music >> I sang it in Portuguese is a regga song and I think is part of my the of is part of building my career >> and as I was learning more about African >> uh um African heritage my my music changed you know alongside >> my my knowledge >> you know so if you see from 1982 till now I mean there is like a way >> you know to more being more more traditional more African >> to the point that now I used to compose in a keyboard. >> Mhm. >> You know, okay. First I started with a guitar because we didn't have anything but you know in in the most proficious moments of my career. So I had all the technology that keyboard and everything and sound it sounds great sounds with quality. >> But I I didn't want that. So I went back I started to go back to the roots >> you know >> so now I'm playing a little bit of >> you know I'm playing guitar but in a very very African way and uh I'm I'm starting learning Timash with Sheni Wagun >> you know and I'm I'm still learning with the main and even Mukavel and the master Luca Mukavel you know So, and I'm just going I mean it's it's the other way around. I'm going back to the roots. So, that that's my uh uh my input trajectory. Exact trajectory. Exact. That's the right is my trajectory. >> So, >> if you listen to this CD, you're going to listen to a lot of stuff, but you can make your your own >> patch, >> you know, in the in the way where I am today in 2026. >> Yeah. Okay. And >> oops, sorry. >> And uh you were talking or mentioning rapidly your book in the beginning. Honestly, I didn't even know that you had published a book. So I'm very curious about that. Maybe you can say a little bit more about the book. >> Yeah, this is well I'm I'm going to try to translate it is like the trailer >> and art of sewing love. Mhm. >> You know, it's um when I talk about love is not a love between between a couple, between a man or a woman or between a man and a man. And you know, depending on what orientation you have, sexual orientation you have, it doesn't matter. But for me, it's not nothing like that. It's the love >> for everyone. Love that we spread, >> you know, to the people. So this book it's a compilation of a lot of small poems that I wrote alongside like 10 years of my musical career >> and uh I said okay and there were a lot of people I was publishing my poems in social media and there were a lot of people saying Steuart you should do a book because there was no intention I am not a writer or or I can say I am a natural writer because I write my own songs I compose my own songs but I am not a writer as it it is you know not I don't compare myself with Makoto or Paul those really great Mozambican writers or Bakosa you know >> so but I decide to make a book and I said okay and uh I'm going to do a combination between my um uh the way my brain works because I don't want to lose you know >> I don't want to lose what I have here so and I think it's a good exercise to write. Let me write things that make sense. So this is a compilation of all the poems that I that I wrote. >> And I talked to to this um writer from Angola in Portugal, Aguuala. >> I know. >> And I Yeah. I talked to Agua and I said, "Aua, you know, I'm going to send you some poems. Can you just help me to choose the right ones?" Okay. you know and after a while he wrote me back and say Steuart you know uh out ofund and something poems I choose like 60 or 80 poems that >> it's more >> it's more you as a writer than as a musician you know because I mean and you are the poems that I choose that you should publish you know it defines you as a writer not not a writing for a music but a writer like you So um so yes it was launched in Portugal at um Lisbon trade Lisbon fair >> you know and that's what I'm doing it's also you know >> interesting I will look for it >> and now I'm writing I'm writing one one book which is going to be maybe like a autobiography of what I've been through but with a a lot of components, social components >> and uh I'm also writing for children. >> Mhm. Okay. >> Fun to Juvenile, you know. So, it's a it's a book that's going to take like it's a compilation of five books and is like an adventure book that, you know, involves two kids, >> you know, that are very very much um concerned about the uh the environmental situation, social situation. Okay. you know and I'm going to write first book and I'm inviting four other writers you know to join me and to write the other four books out of the this this project that I >> sounds like a big and great project >> the let's hope that it become becomes reality but the first book is almost there is in the middle now right now already start to write a long time ago and now you know >> okay >> I am in um I'm in conversation with San Fernand because they are a bit interested in publishing that book. >> Okay, great. Yeah, Stuart. So, um we actually we I mean this this time it's your first time in B, but we are also I'm happy that I could invite you. It's also because it's linked to the your work with Solavayo with the film um the anchorage of time that will be screened at Cinniplex in Roy um and you were an actor in the film and you also wrote the music uh for the film. So it would be nice if you could tell us more about this experience making the film, writing the music. Um I I mean being being an actor in movies or documentaries, you know, um as a fictional character as myself, you know, is um >> it's been always one of my dreams, you know, >> and um but I said I'm not going to force it. has to be natural and the only thing that I'm going to pursue is is my music career and maybe my music career will give me all those benefits >> and of course I've been working for a long time in composing and writing songs for documentaries and series and you know um >> but uh doing a uh doing a um u doing this the soundtrack for a feature movie, you know, this is my first time. >> Mhm. And being an actor with a fictional character is also my first time because I already did one that I acted as myself, you know, >> um, >> it's just Chukuma in a South African movie about the story about this guy had a story about he he he came from a very poor family and he he wanted to be a a star and I was in the middle of his and then I got sick and he got his spot, you know, to to so it was a beautiful story actually, very social, you know, >> with a lot of a lot of awareness >> and uh but being that character in the Souls movie was all against my odds >> because >> because I never thought that I was going to to play a character this >> this against my what everything that I've learned in terms of individual, you So I'm playing this very corrup corrupt police man in the movie. Um and thanks to all those great actors like you know I mean every everyone like it's their profession you know so and >> um and they let me be part of this uh this great great situation. So I was very surprising when uh when um when Soul Carval called me because I've been telling Saul I want to be part of your movie for the last 20 years. So he started say Stewart you want to be part of the movie I mean I'll give you like one part of the movie as an actor and you can you you can write the songs for movie. So I supposed to write five pieces. >> Mhm. >> And and I ended up writing >> all the all the songs, all the music and also all the special effects. >> Mhm. the and special thing that I was um also surprised about was the people saying the music is is great and the music but for me was just music because I mean that's the way that I see Mosakan music in particular and in in general the African music you know so it's >> but maybe as uh maybe not everybody had a chance to see the film or will not have a chance to see the film Um we we can maybe give a little bit more of also of context. So the film was the filmmaker Sold Gavayu, one of the big figures of African cinema, I mean Mosmb beacon cinema from the very beginning um of Mosmb beacon cinema and the script writing as far as I know was also um sold based story on a novel written by Makoto >> and they even have co-written the script. So, so I thought this is a very special film and then and you wrote um the music and um for more say for to make it even more special is the whole film was made on the Ilia or on the island of Mosmbique. So in a very historical place that has a very important role also in the history of Mosmbique and of the whole I would say the whole coastline. So for me when I saw the film for the first time it's also it's a very very special constellation in the making of the film with a bigname writer mozen beacon writer like Miaoto who accepted also to I mean accepted to cocreate the script with Savayo in this very special place. I mean it was really I have visited the island only once but it's it's very say the atmosphere on the island you can tell uh as a crossroad of cultures and of different times and I think the film is also translating this and then it starts also with a very big panoramic in the beginning where you see the ocean and it's about storytelling and the music um so just I mean I didn't want to talk so much but just to give a little bit more of for those who will follow maybe than the interview one day and so this this very special combination of uh of different I mean creators who come together to create this film and the music as you said people told you and I also um would uh would highlight that I think the music is part of to make this film also very special. Um so maybe you can also say something about this experience uh being on the island >> linking it to different cultures and the music that I mean really connects with with this very complex >> space and time. U well uh when uh when salt when salt carvalu called me and asked me to to be part of the movie in writing the songs of course I had to see the movie first time >> and uh >> and I I identified myself with the story because I think I lived part of that story. Mhm. >> I was I was already um a man when it I was a boy but I I was 14 years old when the beness came and the story happens in that uh in that time >> and uh of course I recognized a lot of situations in the movie. So it made me it was it's not it wasn't difficult to read the movie and to make the songs for the movie >> and because of two situations one >> I'm used when I grew up to listen to a lot of voices because I mean voices are the first instrument >> of the African music you know you don't need anything else to to express yourself through music because the voice is there is your body is your voice >> you know um so it's a natural thing for the for the Africans you know in general and for Mozambi also we have that culture of voices and uh the challenge was Stuart I want you to make the music only with voices >> okay nothing else even the effects That was the challenge. But making the the music, it was easy to read what happened situation and we would translate the situation even some words of the script >> and turn those words from the script into the music. >> You know, um some sometimes um I would use uh a metaphoric way to do it and sometimes I would go straight to the point, >> you know. So most of the Bosambikans will understand when we sing because they are like proverbs in some of the uh approaches that I did to the songs >> you know and uh once we decide to make the first song actually the first song that we we showed to to Salt Carvalu and Salt Carval says I don't I don't like that song. I said, "Okay, >> it's a good start." >> And I said to Saul, "Okay, it doesn't matter because we're going to make like 100 or 200 songs and then we can choose the right songs for the and you didn't use the first song that we we wrote." And I said, "And any song that you don't use for the movie, I'll be using for myself, you know." Yeah. So and um but it it's it's all always a challenge when people say no is not it's not I I understand that that person is not saying you don't serve for the work it's like okay not for this but we can still try and makoto and soul they were in the studio whenever they want to be as if they they witness the work and they could give me also the right direction say I mean you are in the right now don't go this way, don't go that way, go this way. It was great. And he they explained me very well what they wanted in the end of the movie. >> And of course, I had >> Bit and Domingos singers. And I had I had um Biamat and these boys from no limits of voices. >> And so every day I had all those voices to work with me and tell them what to do and so of of course exchanging ideas. They would bring a lot of ideas because they are professionals on that and choirs and voices >> and it was beautiful working with them. >> Yeah. >> You just mentioned that uh some of the songs are also based or inspired by proverbs. Could you maybe give one example? >> Yes. Um there is a song uh that we did um that we talked about before you kill an animal, >> you know, >> uh for for food, >> you you have to >> Mhm. >> to feed that animal, >> you know. >> Uh so there is a proverb in African proverb that Yeah. So in order for you to >> uh to to kill for your survival, you know, you need to feed that animal first. You don't you don't want to kill some. That's one of the proverbs that I remember right now. But there is a lot that we used. I mean, if you see the the African heritage, the storytellings that are there are a big part of our um um our um uh well, I'm going to do a repetition. Our heritage because lots of information that that pass through generations are too oral. Mhm. >> It's you know books and are very new things for me and very and even in Mozambique nowadays in a modern era there are a lot of people that pass the information through uh through voices and singing and everything you know and uh of course those proverbs still very alive when musicians and writers when they write songs they still have those proverbs as as a big foundation for what they they want to write today. >> Yeah. So, and I am not aware of that. I am aware of that and I I'm still using as a big force of my inspiration in those cases >> and in terms of music because we talked about different different genres. Um because I'm there I'm not so sure uh but what I said or asked before so about your CD but they're different I mean very different songs also in in the film. Were they inspired then also by different music genres or maybe also different um let's say cultural backgrounds that would speak to the story. >> Um yeah that's a good question and actually I was expecting you to Okay, then >> you know that's a very personal way of writing of and hearing songs and I'm aware of that but because I've been working with a lot of musicians and each of us we have different ways of uh of composing writing and approaching you know >> and and interpreting >> you know so when I I hear a situation and when I hear a melo a melody I already know which language is going to is going to fit in those melodies. That's why I use different languages and different so and languages and they have their own melody. Like if so I I'll give an example. You know if you're >> the Makua people from north of Mozambique >> when they talk they have their own melody their own rhythm. um Shangana people from south they also the language brings another rhythm and another another melodies it doesn't mean that you cannot like um um mix melodies and a lot of musicians some some are aware of that and another just they just do it you know they do a lot of that but I can hear in some of situation it I start with a melody like uh I know that I'm going to do like a shana melody because it sounds shana. >> But if I'm doing like this is more >> African Arab melody, you know, so I know exactly what I want to do. And the by reading the movie, by reading the scenes in the movie, I could place it exactly listen to dialogues. I could say, "Okay, this area, you know, it goes well with a makua or mak or >> or um or um shopppee or shangana, you know, language >> because of the rhythm and because of the melodies that I want to put in each part of the song. Yeah. >> Okay. As we are talking or you just mentioned rhythm, would you say that the music that you're writing for this film that it would also link because there are a lot of songs also that link are linked directly to the ocean because it's an island. >> Yes. >> And there comes another rhythm of course when you are on an island and you have the the water and all these sounds of the water around the island. Would you say that some of the songs that you were writing have also been connected to to the surroundings where the film was >> uh of course nevertheless there is a situation when you I use Shangan songs while you know the location of the movie was uh was Makua >> Mozambique >> you know so but Um I'm going to give an example of the first voice that you hear is the is one of the characters telling this story, you know, and comes >> Mhm. >> He places exactly >> in the location where you filmed. >> This is a Makua melody, >> Mhm. You know, and also this is a trigger for the soundtrack of the movie, which is the song that comes up with all the credits, you know. This is undiscussible melody. So this I have no doubt of it because you know I am part of that you know. So and of course the situation and the place leads you to the leads me to the to the way I wrote the songs you know. >> Okay. So we can just also invite everybody here whenever they have a chance to see the film, watch the film and pay attention to this very special uh co-creation of songs. I mean like an acoustic universe with the writing of Miaoto and the film making and visuals made by Solavayu. >> Thank you very much. Thank you very much for this wonderful exchange and thank you for coming to Broid and we will continue discussions. Thank you. >> Yes, thank you. And uh I would love to leave this book and this CD for the university. >> Oh, thank you so much. Okay. So, um, and I hope I mean I hope you can use it. You know, it's in Portuguese, but I hope one day I can translate into Dutch and other languages. >> In this case, in disguise, I would love to say it to the people of Beirut that um I I like I'm not saying it because I'm here. I really like this place. It's going to be one of my in my list one of my favorite places. I was in Panama. I was in Panama a couple of a couple of years ago and I went to places that I never thought that I would be and met like really wonderful people. I met people in Brazil and now it's so very will be in Germany you know one one of my favorite places okay thank you >> because of everything you know so yeah >> thank you so much thank you for coming >> and thank you also for sharing thank you for the work that you're doing with the the Africa studies you know including Africa multiply you know so in in this university in Europe so I guess it's going to be also very important for Mozambicans in particular in the African general to be aware aware of the work that you're doing here with everybody >> around the world. >> Thank you very much. Thanks.
Origins & context
- Title
- CinemaAfrica 2025/26: A Conversation with ... Stewart Sukuma
- Language
- English
- YouTube playlist
- Cinema Africa 2025/26
- Date
- February 16, 2026
Identifiers & sources
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