Angolan musician Waldemar Bastos dies at 66

According to the Angolan Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment, Bastos died in Lisbon, Portugal after succumbing to cancer. Bastos’ death was confirmed by his family via the musician’s official Facebook page.

“With deep sadness and pain, the family informs everyone who knew and appreciated his music, that Waldemar Bastos passed away yesterday, 9 August 2020, a victim of a prolonged illness,” a statement reads.

Speaking to local media, Angolan musician Paulo Flores said: "The death of Waldemar Bastos is an irreparable loss. Very sad news that catches us all off guard. And I think that what has to be celebrated here is, in fact, musical aesthetics, integrity, intellectual honesty and the way, during so many years of career, he never lost his principles and what he believed in. Purity from his compositions, from his melodies, from an early age they helped us to find an Angolan identity that we still try to define completely."

National Union of Artists and Composers president José Moreno told Lusa News Agency that he was devastated and surprised by the news. Angolan singer and cultural journalist Mário Santos said Bastos was unique in his vocal quality and his musical dimension.

Bastos’ music career began in Portugal having left Angola when the country gained independence in 1975. He was among Angola's first artists to gain international recognition. The Preta Luz' singer pioneered a sound known as Afro-Luso-Atlantic, a fusion of musical influences from African and Portuguese culture. In 1983, Bastos recorded his debut studio album Estamos Juntos in Brazil. His last album Classics of My Soul was released in 2010. Some of his popular songs include 'Rainha Ginga', 'Velha Chica', 'Sofrimento' and 'Muxima'.

Throughout his career Bastos has worked with renowned artists like Chico Buarque (Brazil), Dulce Pontes (Portugal), David Byrne (US/UK), Arto Lindsay (US) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japan) as well as the Gulbenkian Orchestra (Portugal), the London Symphony Orchestra and the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, he received the National Prize for Culture and Arts – an important cultural distinction of the Angolan State. In the previous year, he was named an International Musician and Singer at the 10th Meeting of Mozambican Writers in the Diaspora, in Lisbon for championing human rights. In 1999, he was awarded the New Artist of the Year at the World Music Awards, promoted by the Prince of Monaco. Bastos was also a critic of former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, who the musician had on several occasions accused of being a dictator.