Sauti Sol, Paulo Flores and more added to line-up for Azgo in Maputo

Serving as a platform for emerging and acclaimed artists to collaborate and meet new audiences, Azgo’s organisers have announced the final round of artists who will be performing the festival this May.

Previous artist announcements were made in early April and in late April.

Leading the third and final artist announcement is award-winning Kenyan Afro-pop group Sauti Sol. Their unique blend of energetic rhythms has established the trio as one of Africa’s most celebrated acts. Their latest album Live and Die in Afrika is currently being promoted with an innovate tour of five smaller towns in Kenya. Sauti Sol will also perform at Bushfire in nearby Swaziland the following weekend.

‘Tulale Fofofo’, their new collaboration with South African group Mi Casa (who headlined Azgo in 2015), affirms the band as one of the hottest acts on the continent.

The Kenyan hitmakers will be joined at Azgo by Angolan star Paulo Flores, who is a key reference in Angolan music and a tireless promoter of Semba music across the globe.

Azagaia and his group Os Cortadores de Lenha are the most influential, popular and political hip-hop acts in Mozambique. Lyrically they speak of the realities of post-colonial Mozambique and the continent of Africa as a whole.

Representing the roots of Mozambique music at Azgo, meanwhile, will be Xidimingwana, regarding as one of the most important Mozambican guitarists and performers of all time, as well as Timbila Muzimba, an exciting fusion by young lovers of traditional Mozambican music, particularly Chope rhythms, ngalanga, makhara and others.    

Azgo will also welcome the mighty Majestic Soundsystem, who will keep things irie from mid-afternoon to sunset on the Saturday, before Swaziland's Bholoja performs that evening. DJ Kenzhero from South Africa will keep the audience dancing till late.

These acts join an already stellar line-up featuring Zahara (South Africa), Maya Kamaty (Reunion), Lura (Cape Verde) diaspora artists Estère and Cold Specks (from New Zealand and Canada respectively), as well as European talent in HMB (Portugal), Kingfisha (Australia), Pablo Nouvelle (Switzerand) and Za! (Spain). Other leading acts already confirmed from Mozambique are the Alexandre Langa tribute (featuring Yolanda Kakana, Roberto Chitsondzo, Muzila, Bob Lee, Sizaquel and others), Mr Bow, Neyma, Gran’mah, Deltino Guerreiro, Denny OG, Afro Madjaha, New Joint and more.

Tickets are on sale now for 900 MTS ($17) per day or 1400 ($27) for the whole weekend. VIP tickets are 1600 MTS ($32) for one day and 2700 ($53) for both. Tickets are on sale now from local Computicket outlets or online via Bilhetes Online and Entradas.

For more information check out the Azgo website or Facebook page, or watch the new TV advert for this year's edition (in Portuguese) below. Revisit highlights from last year’s festival by reading here.