Culture is created by the people.

Writing in the “First National Festival of Popular Dance” published in 1978, the late Mozambican President, Samora Machel said the people created culture because they own land and have inspiration from their pains and hopes.

“Culture is created by the people/ the artists don’t create it/ Bourgeoisie doesn’t produce art/ it lacks the land/ it lacks the inspiration/ The people are inspired everyday/ look at the peasants/ Their music talks of their life/ of tilling, harvesting, watering/ It sings of how rice, pumpkin and ear were harvested/ labouring, sweating under the sun/ watering the land with his sweat/ the peasant sings/ The peasant comes back home with a bucket of water on the head/ thinks that she must light a fire to cook/ lives life and sings life/ During the night, in the hours of rest/ when the full moon lights her/ she sings to her work, tells her pains/ her sufferings, her hopes/ she sings happiness, sings dance/ it can be sad or joyful/ a reference to history/ or even an episode of the  everyday/ but be as it might, it has a real meaning/ it defies an enemy/ and how to fight against this enemy.”