Recording studio for Neco’s music  

This is the story of Neco, an artist who, according to many different kinds of people, does not play or sing but becomes music when he performs:

"Some people are born to make music, in the right family or in the right time, others encounter music by coincidence, like Neco. But the coincidence did not make his encounter less potent. He is now not a guitar player or a percussionist, not a composer or a performer, no studio fanatic or a performance star, not a bass player or a singer, he is all of that! All there is to be said about Neco is that he is a musician, and perhaps, during sacred moments, he becomes music. Then, the thin line between the result (music) and the medium (the musician and his or her instrument) disappears. Maybe this is what defines music, in its traditional meaning. To make music, one needs to have an audience, but usually the only role the audience has is to listen. During a performance of Neco, the listeners become part of the same thing, the borders between the stage and public vanish. 

Neco was born in Mozambique, in a village called Matola Fomento, close to the capital Maputo. Mozambique - a former colony of Portugal - only became self-governing in 1975 when a people's republic was established. In 1990 this republic was replaced by a democratic government, but it was not until 1992 that a reconciliation with the guerrillas took place. In the eighties, the streets had become so dangerous that Neco's parents decided he would be safer spending weekends and holidays in the countryside with his grandmother. She is a traditional medicine woman, who dances at ceremonies. These ceremonies start early in the morning and continue until the night. Therefore, there was a great need of percussion players, since percussion had to be played through the entire ceremony. Neco and his brothers, being little boys, were obliged to play percussion. All the time! But they found a solution for boredom or exhaustion; if they had to play for so long, at least they could change instruments. The ceremonies gave Neco the opportunity to experience music; he was fascinated, absorbed, and enthralled. 

While Neco grew up, so did the political climate: Mozambique became a safer place and he was not sent to his grandmother anymore. At sixteen, he developed a new fascination: western instruments. And those were only available in the Missionaries Church of Portugal. He stopped at this church every time he passed it on his way to school, listening to these beautiful sounds. So different from what he knew, but beautiful all the same. 

One day, he couldn't resist his desires, entered the church and started playing all the instruments he could find, starting with the guitar. After that, the piano, which taught him how Western classical music was created. And he decided to use his voice as well. As a singer, he formed for the first time a band with some friends and experienced what it is like to be a performer. As soon he had figured out the system of Western classical music, he started writing it down in order to understand it even better. Luckily, a priest gave him a solfege book which gave Neco the opportunity to study by himself and improve his understanding of music. He did all this without any help. Neco started to work in the church, teaching children music. The lyrics they sang told about good morals, about peace and harmony. Like this, the children were not only kept safe from any kind of harm, but were also taught to be good people. Teaching children gave him a satisfaction that was incomparable with playing in a band. He felt he was doing important, worthwhile work, and on top of that, it resulted in a concert on National Radio. This gave him the chance to enter a competition for young, promising musicians. And indeed, he won, with his song 'Ceccilia'. As this song became a hit single, he subsequently recorded 'Tchururriba' and 'Marisa'; the latter even with a videoclip. 

His popularity didn't make him happier, though. He felt compromised by the public, which became more or less a dictator of his music. Furthermore, despite his stardom, he still couldn't make a living of his music. That is why he worked to get a scholarship in the colonial motherland, Portugal. With help from the nuns in Mozambique he succeeded in getting a scholarship to study for three years at the Professional School of Music in Evera. After that, he worked and travelled for two years and was then accepted by Rotterdam Conservatory, where he now studies singing at the classical department." The story of Neco has only just begun, according to his teachers. His professor in Singing wrote in a letter of recommendation that he "has shown his musical potential and creativity in different projects", "is at ease on stage and there shows striking communication qualities"and that his progress makes him "a promise for the future as a performing artist". Neco has been wanting to record a CD with his brothers and sisters from his family band for a long time and found an opportunity to do so in South Africa. He only lacked the funds to get there and pay for the studio. Moments of Joy decided to help by paying the required 2000 Euro for the studio.

Total € 2000,-- 

donated from the general fund of Moments of Joy

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