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Angola: Death, injuries at funeral of “Nagrelha”
8:49 CAT | 22 Nov 2022
People protect themselves after the police used tear gas to disperse a riot in the surroundings of the city's Santa Ana cemetery, where the kuduro musician known as 'Nagrelha' was to be buried, near Luanda, Angola, 22 November 2022. Gelson Caio Manuel Mendes, better known as 'Nagrelha', the most famous singer in the kuduro musical style, died in Luanda, of lung cancer, according to the Complexo Hospitalar de Doenças Cardiovasculares Dom Alexandre do Nascimento, where he was being cared for. He was 36.[Photo:Ampe Rogerio /Lusa]
The funeral of Angolan kudurista “Nagrelha” was marked by riots and violence on Tuesday at the entrance of the Santa Ana cemetery in Luanda, where the huge crowd concentrated at the site was dispersed with tear gas, causing injuries to several people.
With no official data yet from the police, who sent 800 officers to accompany the procession and funeral, Lusa witnessed the chaotic stampede, with people fainting and being injured, while many others lost their shoes as they tried to escape the gas.
The morning started early at the Cidadela Stadium, where the funeral ceremonies were organised in honour of Gelson Caio Mendes “Nagrelha”, the biggest kuduro and Sambizanga neighbourhood star, idol inspiring many Angolan youths who admire the fame and success achieved by a son of the “ghetto”.
Funeral do Nagrelha
Hoje na cidadela#Nagrelha #Angola pic.twitter.com/aAvY2VPaIX— Bruno Amaro (@BrunoSpacePD) November 22, 2022
But the large crowd in Sambizanga, where the “King of kuduro” gathered the troops the night before, made us think that the next day would be complicated, which led the authorities to close Avenida Deolinda Rodrigues, one of the main access roads to the city, to free the vicinity of the cemetery that was reserved only for the funeral of “Nagrelha”.
By 09:30, a crowd of Angolans, mainly young people, were already heading towards the cemetery in a colourful and aggressive procession, where chants and slogans were heard, accompanied by the firing of “rateres” from the thousands of motorcyclists that accompanied the parade.
Everyone wanted to say goodbye to “Naná”, the affectionate name by which “Nagrelha” was known, some imitating the bleached shade of his hair, others wearing military uniforms honouring his “General Staff”, and there were even some who walked naked through the crowd.
“All for the kuduro”, as they say.
Death came early for the 36-year-old artist who returned to Luanda a few months ago after a season of treatment in Portugal, having been hospitalised in the former sanatorium of Luanda, now Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento hospital complex, due to lung cancer.
Earlier this year, the kudurista, who regularly took part in MPLA rallies organised by the former president of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, who also died this year, gave a controversial interview to the artist Flysquad, in which he became angry with the interviewer when asked about “Zedu”, who he said was the “father” who had nurtured him.
They left a few months apart, but between the institutional mourning of the state funeral of “Zedu” and the commotion of the farewell of the “state-major” of kuduro, there was a world of distance.
And the young people, coming from all the suburbs of Luanda, to whom the partisan collage of “Nagrelha” didn’t bother, showed that their world is the biggest, paying homage to the artist with a funeral procession never seen before in Luanda, according to several people heard by Lusa.
As they paraded, many mourned the “son of Zedu”, while others proclaimed “‘Nagrelha’ President. João Lourenço, deputy”, in an implicit criticism of the current head of state.
Everything went well until all the explosive energy turned into chaos near the cemetery, where Lusa witnessed the crowd’s panic trying to escape the tear gas grenades.
Some people reported seeing two policemen killed and shops and vehicles were vandalised in videos circulating on social media. Lusa has not been able to verify this information so far but has witnessed a police motorbike burnt and tyres set on fire.
Lusa tried to interview some young people who took refuge in a petrol station near the cemetery, including one person who said he saw a woman trampled by the mob, but the interview was interrupted when people were forced to disperse by the police who burst onto the scene.
Obama Lendário, from the Cacuaco neighbourhood, was one of those who stayed, saying he was “very sorry” about the death of the “State-major of kuduro” and the behaviour of the population.
“Attention, people, Nagrelha wasn’t a troublemaker, we’re kuduro people, kuduro is not a troublemaker. People, I would appreciate it if you would celebrate the day of 22 November 2022, let’s respect the death of our brother. As a kudurista, I appeal to other colleagues, fans, sambizanguenses, cazenguenses, vianenses, (let’s) not misbehave at the death of our brother,” he exhorted, lamenting that he was unable to reach the cemetery because of the “confusion.”
Chocarang, electronic music artist, who lived with “Nagrelha”, praised the musician when he left the Cidadela for the difference he made in music and the way he performed and sang and “that made him become the leader of kuduro”, he told Lusa.
He was “a super cool person from the neighbourhood who dealt with everyone”, he described, praising the “simplicity” of the artist who became famous, but did not forget his origins.
Coming from Estalagem, Sambapito do Charme also wanted, together with his friends, to celebrate a kudurista who “gave a lot for the style”.
“‘Nagrelha’ from Lambas, our brother, that’s why we’re here to give that maximum fight for the biggest state of kuduro. What ‘Nagrelha’ has done, there’s no way we can stay at home,” he stressed, recounting that he came on foot to say goodbye to this “friend and charismatic” father.
“We are here to make kuiar (please) highly (…) the president of the kuduro style”, he reinforced.
Lourenço Inácio, better known as Sete Cores (Seven Colours), has a “look” that gives him his name and says that it was because of his “brother” “Nagrelha” that he also became a musician, welcoming the encouragement that he gave to many young people to leave delinquency.
“I also want to give my contribution, I am very sorry for this loss of kuduro, of our “Nagrelha”, may his soul rest in peace. Angola is the world, but this is leaving us shaken, so many shootings in the middle of the gas,” he told Lusa, as tear gas shots resumed.
“Our mentor, our boss, our commander in chief, our legend of kuduro,” shouted the youths before escaping again through the streets of the Angolan capital, today invaded by the uncontrollable emotion of those who mourn for Naná, the one who said that “death and sleep are children of the same father, but one does not know how to play.”
#EstadoMaiordoKuduro #nagrelha #funeral pic.twitter.com/2DZlAymyXH
— Rada • News (@rada_news) November 22, 2022
Funeral do Nagrelha hoje
Na hora do enterro, foi isso que aconteceu
Sem dúvidas é a pessoa mais popular que este país já teve.
Não existe, pelo menos que saibamos, qualquer funeral que tivesse a quantidade de gente que este funeral teve.
Video da net #Nagrelha#Angola pic.twitter.com/lIyDrA0GO7— Bruno Amaro (@BrunoSpacePD) November 22, 2022
Source: Lusa
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