Mestre Michel Gomes

Mestre Michel Gomes came up in Luanda, where he learned percussion from older musicians and eventually played with the band Os Gingas do Maculusso. His 1979 debut album No Balanço da Angola, named for its title track, caught on quickly in Angola. The song No Balanço da Angola mixed traditional rhythms with newer arrangements, and it became something of an anthem there.

Gomes's music reached listeners outside Angola too, and he performed at festivals abroad. Some of his lyrics touched on social or political themes, which drew criticism from certain quarters at the time. He kept recording, with songs like Declamação Meu Berimbau and Meu Berimbau Me Leva focusing on the berimbau and other instruments central to his sound.