Marrabenta is a popular style of Mozambican dance music combining traditional Mozambican dance rhythms with Portuguese folk music. It was developed in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, during the 1930s and 1940s.
The name may be derived from the Portuguese word rebentar (arrabentar in the local vernacular), which means "to break". This may refer to the cheap musical instruments used in this music, which are often played energetically until they fall apart. Vocalist Dilon Djindje claims this refers to the energetic performances he delivered while on tour across Mozambique, as the intensity and vitality of his shows led audiences to believe that he was 'breaking' the emotional limits of those in attendance. The musicians who played Marrabenta came to be called arrabenta. Over time, the name Marrabenta has grown in popularity and continues to be used today.
Marrabenta gained national popularity in Mozambique during the 1930s and 1940s while the nation was still under Portuguese colonial rule. Before the popularity of Marrabenta, Portuguese musicians in Mozambique played fado, a type of traditional Portuguese folk music. These musicians introduced the traditional orchestration and other influences of fado, such as the use of guitars, mandolins, drum sets, and other conventional Western instruments, to Mozambique. The Catholic Church, as a site for cultural interaction, also played a role in the development of the new genre, contributing influences of tonal harmony and the basic use of progressions like I-IV-V. Mozambican musicians combined the influences of church music, secular Western music, and African rhythms to create an entirely new genre.
If I see problems I look in your eyes
Who likes to know that I'm on your side
Villains and thieves they better beware
Into the plans I'll throw a big scare
My name is Rex
I am best friends with the people
Rex, I'm going out on a struggle
Give the command, I'm off to the chase
Running, jumping, solving the case
Villains and thieves they better beware
Into the plans I'll throw a big scare
My name is Rex
I'm best friends with the people
Rex, I'm going out on a struggle
Give the command, I'm off to the chase
Ram, jam, solve the case
My name is Rex
I come from Vienna
I transferred to Rome
Eternal city and now I'm at home
Climate is different, problem the same
Catching the bad guys, a part of my fame
Rex, I'm best friends with the people
Rex, I'm going out on a struggle
Give the command, I'm off to the chase
Ram, jam, solve the case
My name is Rex
My name is Rex