{"id":42756,"date":"2017-04-14T11:04:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T10:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/interview-binhanquinhe-quimor-is-simply-binhan-singer-and-composer-from-guinea-bissau-who-since-2008-has-denounced-the-social-and-political-misery-of-his-country\/"},"modified":"2020-05-04T23:37:47","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T22:37:47","slug":"interview-binhanquinhe-quimor-is-simply-binhan-singer-and-composer-from-guinea-bissau-who-since-2008-has-denounced-the-social-and-political-misery-of-his-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/interview-binhanquinhe-quimor-is-simply-binhan-singer-and-composer-from-guinea-bissau-who-since-2008-has-denounced-the-social-and-political-misery-of-his-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Binhan: a protest singer who promotes hope for Guinea-Bissau"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Binhanquinhe Quimor is simply Binhan, singer and composer from Guinea-Bissau, who, since 2008\u00a0has denounced the social and political misery of his country through songs full of love and hope, and committed and realistic lyrics. A frequent collaborator of Guinea-Bissau cult band Super Mama Djombo, Binhan sees\u00a0his 2015\u00a0album Lifante Pupa<\/em>\u00a0released worldwide via Cantos Music.<\/b><\/h4>\n

We had him over the phone in Lisbon, where the Guinean musician was currently rehearsing for the album release show at B.Leza, the Portuguese capital cult club for afro music.<\/p>\n

PAM : Hello Binhan.\u00a0<\/b>Lifante Pupa<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is gonna be released worldwide this week. We know you’ve always attached importance to your lyrics. What is the main\u00a0topic of the album?
\n<\/b>Bihan :\u00a0<\/b>There are three main themes : peace, love and hope. There can be no love without peace. And love is an essential value that brings hope,\u00a0specifically for the people of Guinea-Bissau, who I sing for.<\/p>\n

PAM :\u00a0So what is the message you want to deliver with this album?
\n<\/b>B :<\/strong>\u00a0This album is a way to make the world know about what happens in a country who definitely needs to meet peace. This is why my songs always bear a social criticism, because my country has been in crisis for years now. After the 1998 crisis [a civil war that broke out after a coup d’\u00c9tat against the president], Guinea-Bissau never really lived under peace, until today and this new political crisis [government instability since 2014].
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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I’M JUST DESCRIBING THE REALITY OF A SITUATION. MY MUSIC IS ACCEPTED ALL OVER GUINEA-BISSAU, IN THE WHOLE SOCIETY, AND HAS A RIGHT TO BE PLAYED. AND UNTIL KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER CENSORED MY MUSIC.<\/h3>\n
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PAM : Your lyrics are in Guinean Creole and Portuguese. Do you think your message can reach the international audiences, when they don’t understand these languages?<\/b>
\n<\/span>B :<\/strong>\u00a0These are the languages I’ve always spoken. And I think that when you listen to my songs or when you see me playing on stage, you know what my music\u00a0is about. Music is still the most universal language, I think.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n