Afric Simone
Encyclopedia
Afric Simone is a singer, musician and entertainer from Mozambique
. He entered the European charts with his first hit "Ramaya
" in 1975, which was followed by another well-known song "Hafanana" (1975). He was very popular during 1975 - 1980 on both sides of the iron curtain
. Simone toured the USSR, Poland
, the GDR, and Czechoslovakia
in the Eastern Bloc
.
.
Once, when he appeared on stage in Maputo, his manager
asked him to come to London.
With first steps in show business in London, he has gathered invaluable experience for appearances in other European capitals.
He gathered experience in doing gigs
all over Europe. He was lucky that Eddie Barclay
, the French record tycoon went to see a show in Paris. They immediately signed the contract.
Afric Simone speaks German, English, Portuguese, French and various African languages, however his songs are written in the mixture of Swahili
and few words from other languages. This idea resulted in a mixture of his own native tongue and European Happy Sound. Simone is also said to have pioneered the arts of Break Dancing and Beat Boxing as can be seen in his live performances, as can be seen in the televised performance of his song Playa Blanca circa 1975.
Recently he settled in Germany (in Berlin) with a Russian wife whom he met a few years ago at the music festival "Discoteque 80's" in Moscow, and has been appearing in TV shows in France, Italy, Germany and Lithuania
.
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. He entered the European charts with his first hit "Ramaya
Ramaya
"Ramaya" is an African song, sung by Afric Simone in 1975.This song used to be the intro of the Greek radio program,"Fight Club" at Era sport....
" in 1975, which was followed by another well-known song "Hafanana" (1975). He was very popular during 1975 - 1980 on both sides of the iron curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
. Simone toured the USSR, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the GDR, and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
.
Biography
He was born in China, to a Brazilian father and Mozambique-origin mother, but at the age of 9 (after his father's death) he and his mother had to move to her motherland Mozambique on the east coast of Africa, in the capital city Lourenço Marques, now MaputoMaputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
.
Once, when he appeared on stage in Maputo, his manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
asked him to come to London.
With first steps in show business in London, he has gathered invaluable experience for appearances in other European capitals.
He gathered experience in doing gigs
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
all over Europe. He was lucky that Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay was a French music producer whose singers included Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. He founded Barclay Records.-Life:...
, the French record tycoon went to see a show in Paris. They immediately signed the contract.
Afric Simone speaks German, English, Portuguese, French and various African languages, however his songs are written in the mixture of Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
and few words from other languages. This idea resulted in a mixture of his own native tongue and European Happy Sound. Simone is also said to have pioneered the arts of Break Dancing and Beat Boxing as can be seen in his live performances, as can be seen in the televised performance of his song Playa Blanca circa 1975.
Recently he settled in Germany (in Berlin) with a Russian wife whom he met a few years ago at the music festival "Discoteque 80's" in Moscow, and has been appearing in TV shows in France, Italy, Germany and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
Singles
- 1975 - Ramaya/Piranha (BarclayBarclay RecordsBarclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
, BRCNP 40066) - 1976 - Hafanana/Sahara (Barclay, BRCNP 40072)
- 1976 - Aloha-Wamayeh / Al Capone (HansaHansa RecordsHansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany....
, 17 586 AT) - 1977 - Maria Madalena/Aloha (Barclay)
- 1977 - Playa Blanca/Que Pasa Mombasa MusartMusart RecordsMusart Records is the name of several different record labels that have issued records at various times in the 20th century.#The name is also known as Discos Musart in Mexico and is a Mexican label. It is known for releasing traditional Mexican folk music as well as international releases licensed...
, MI 30387 - 1978 - Playa blanca/Marabu (Barclay)
- 1980 - China girl/Salomé (Barclay)
Albums
- 1976 - Ramaya (Barclay, 70024)
- 1977 - Afric Simone (Barclay)
- 1978 - Afric Simone 2 (Barclay)