Singer and multi-instrumentalist, Zé Manel is the most famous and influential contemporary musician to emerge from the West African country of Guinea-Bissau. By the age of seven, Zé, playing drums and acoustic guitar, had become the main attraction of Super Mama Djombo band. During the 1970's, this seminal orchestra played a major role in the liberation struggle of this former Portuguese colony.

In 1982, Zé released his first solo album "Tustumunhos di Aonti" (Yesterday's Testimony), which sounded the alarm over the formation of a new repressive ruling class in Guinea-Bissau. The album was a national event (people in Guinea-Bissau today still sing the songs from this soulful, relevant album), but the political environment was heating up and Manel's fans were concerned for his safety. Manel fled his homeland. This self-exile took him to Portugal, France and, finally, the United States.

His American debut album, "Maron di Mar" on Cobiana Records and released in 2001, was an instant success. It received rave reviews from European and American media and was nominated for best album at the All African Kora Music Awards in South Africa, and best world music album at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards in the USA. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.