National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Mozambican singer Dilon Djindji is known as "the man of a thousand stories" and "the grand old man of marrabenta, who began performing at the age of 12 in 1939, but didn't record for the international market until the age of 75.

Dilon was born in 1927 in Marracuene, a district capital in the rural south of Mozambique. He discovered his love of music at a very early age, and in 1939 built himself a three-string guitar made from an oil can. Three years later this home made effort was replaced with a six-stringed version and he began performing at parties and ceremonies with his uncle, Antonio Chikonela Jinge, and friend, Xavier Santos Pfumo.

When he completed his studies in 1947, he became a pastor, and went to work on the island of Mariana, where he continued to play music as well. Besides playing such popular styles as zukuta and magica with musicians like Constancio Machiano and Ernesto and Armando Magaia, Dilon began experimenting with marrabenta music, which was later to become the country's main urban dance rhythm.

Thanks to his energy and enthusiasm for the music, as well as the hundreds of performances he notched up around the country, Dilon made the music famous. His music and charisma are not easily forgotten, and to this day people still talk about these legendary shows. His repertoire of love songs (as well as his swinging hips) ensured a large female following, and he was often simply known as Marrabenta. His characteristic style was later copied and interpreted by followers such as Eusebio Johan Tamele, Francisco Mahecuane, Alberto Langa and Alexandre Jafete.

He began working in the South African mines in 1950, but returned after four years to an agricultural cooperative in his home district of Marracuene. He married shortly afterwards (he and his wife now have eight children and thirty-two grandchildren), and in 1960 he founded his first band, Estrela De Marracuene (Star Of Marracuene). Other firsts were to come: four years later he made his radio debut on the Voz Africana (African Voice) station, and in 1973 his first single ('Xiguindlana') was released by Producoes 1001, where he was working as a production coordinator.

Today, Dilon is as enthusiastic and energetic about his music as ever. At the age of 74, he performed outside Mozambique for the first time as a member of the multi-generational band Mabulu. He recorded his first international album, Dilon. a collection of favorites from between 1950 and 1964, in 2002.—Courtesy Calabash Music