Kubhula

In search of contemporary griots

“In West Africa, there is the term griot, an individual responsible for taking in and transmitting ancestral history, culture and memories. We search for contemporary griots.”

Hugo Chichava, Márcio Luiz and Sabaka Muianga are the three founders of the most coveted podcast of the moment, a space for conversation that seeks to capture the thoughts, experiences and points of view of people living in Mozambique. After all, what are the topics of conversation at Kubhula?

Sabaka, Márcio and Hugo lived geographically apart and felt that they needed to bridge that distance in some way that would calm a multiplicity of topics that simmered in each one’s head. The best way they found to fulfill this need was to create a podcast.

They decided to materialize their natural taste for talking in a hybrid space; the hosts are not only responsible for raising questions: sometimes they pose questions; sometimes they answer. What matters is the relevance of the dialogue. “It was this intrinsic need to feel connected to the people and stories of our land and to think that there would be more people feeling the same way that was and continues to be our motivation.”

The most coveted podcast of the moment seeks to capture the thoughts, experiences and points of view of people living in Mozambique.

Without needing to explain it to the guest, each element intervenes at the right time. They seek emotional involvement and only invite those who seem relevant to the magic microphone. “In West Africa, there is the term griot.” Griot is the individual responsible for taking in and transmitting ancestral history, culture and memories from generation to generation. We look for “contemporary griots” and, in our society, it is incredibly simple to find them. These are people of different ages, genders, races and social strata, with the unusual ability to inspire, entertain and enlighten with their stories that meet our invitation criteria.”

They don’t need to explain it, since an ear (in the absence of a look) is more attentive and the genuine interest in what each guest has to say is understandable. “We are three founders and, although we share the same vision for Kubhula, we have totally different tastes and personalities, and this is naturally reflected in our interests, but what we have in common is the desire to learn. Each conversation is a moment of learning and the less we know about the topic of conversation the more interested we are and the more enjoyment we have in exploring it,” they say.

They want Kubhula to be, above all, a space for learning – for them and for those who hear them. They add: “our target audience is a niche market. If we want to be everything to everyone, we risk becoming generic and irrelevant. Kubhula will get wherever it has to go and as long as it has to go. As long as it makes sense and adds value.” And indeed each hour of interview adds a lot of value to each listener!

Issue 66 Mar/Apr | Download.