Angolan music legend David Zé’s landmark 1975 album, Mutudi Ua Ufolo/Viúva Da Liberdade, has received its first proper release after decades of political suppression and technical decay. Zé, a celebrated anti-colonial artist who blended semba, rumba, and bolero with revolutionary themes, was murdered in 1977 during political unrest linked to a failed coup. His music was later banned for years as authorities sought to diminish the influence of popular musicians. As no master tape survived, French music entrepreneur Olivier Rosset spent years tracking down Zé’s family, securing rights, and sourcing seventeen scratched vinyl copies to find one usable recording. Using AI stem-splitting technology and voice recreation software, Rosset’s team rebuilt the tracks. They separated instruments from vocals, then generated two additional layers of Zé’s voice to strengthen parts where heavy reverb obscured the original recording.
Okay Africa
