This multi-generational, multi-ethnic Mozambiquan band was recently nominated for the Newcomer award in BBC Radio 3's World Music Awards. Not bad for a country emerging from decades of civil war, and then two devastating floods, a country that has produced only a handful of band recordings during the entire history of Afropop music. Mabulu's polished, guitar-driven grooves are rich in associations. Swelling harmonized vocals, and jazzy sax passages reveal a strong link with South African music. Chiming, chattering guitar parts bring to mind roots pop from Zimbabwe and Congolese soukous. But Mozambique's own stamp is also omnipresent in the languages, the themes, and in distinctive polyrhythmic grooves that skillfully merge 4/4 and 6/8 time. Track after track, Edú's bass playing delivers precision and punch. At the same time, Mozambiquan pop has a kind of lulling, oceanic ambiance that goes down easily even when the music is complex.

Mabulu's conversation between generations is especially satisfying. Seventy-something Lisboa Matavel and Dilon Djindji are veterans of the country's colonial-era marrabenta sound, but they mix it up here with young voices like that of Nené and Chonyl--who provide gorgeous melodies reminiscent of the young Miriam Makeba--and Chiquito, who raps in Portuguese. When all these elements come together, as on Dilon Djindji's feature "Ulombe/Honey," it's magic. On "N'Binheto/Misfortune," António Lodingue Matusse sings a poignant tale of two brothers who help each other leave their country only to be separated by mistrust in their new home. Chiquito's rapping voice comes in to dramatize the rift. Elsewhere, topical themes abound, such as AIDS, the effects of war on children, and the story of a baby born in a tree during the 1999 floods. The music avoids sentimentality, though, remaining hopeful, intelligent, and rich with its complex sources throughout. Mabulu shows significant growth since the release of their debut CD last year. With luck, they're charting the road for a coming boom in Mozambiquan music.

for www.afropop.org