Edson Amândio Maria Lopes da Luz (6 May 1984 – 9 March 2023), better known by his stage name Azagaia, was a Mozambican rapper known for his songs about political issues and social justice in Mozambique.
[1][2][3] When he was ten, Azagaia moved to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, where he completed high school before going on to study geology at Eduardo Mondlane University.
[2] Azagaia first started performing at the age of 13, when he joined the group Dinastia Bantu alongside MC Escuda; they released one album, Siavuma, in 2005.
[1] The song "As mentiras da verdade" (English: "the lies of the truth") caused controversy due to its political lyrics, and the phrase has become a popular slogan used in protests against the government in Mozambique since its publication.
[3] In 2012, Azagaia released the song "Emboscada" (English: "ambush"), in which he considers the potential reescalation in the long-running conflict between RENAMO, a militant group, and FRELIMO, the governing party.
[5][8][9] The album featured musicians including Stewart Sukuma, Dama do Bling, Banda Likuti, Ras Haitrm, Júlia Duarte, and MCK.
After refusing to pay a bribe to the police, Azagaia and Sherba were detained for two days, and their arrest on drug charges was widely published in the Mozambican press.
[1] In a June 2014 interview with TV Miramar, Azagaia confirmed he had recently been arrested for a second time, again for cannabis possession; he justified his use of it as being to treat symptoms of epilepsy.
Several days later, Azagaia published a Facebook post in which he said due to fears for his family's wellbeing, he would be quitting his music career and returning to Namaacha.
[20] In October 2023, during public demonstrations triggered by the 2023 local election results, the RENAMO mayoral candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, led a march in Maputo, chanting "povo no poder", in reference to Azagaia's song.