Cannes prize for Massukos

Massukos playing in concert in Cannes.

Credit: WaterAid / Xavier Docquin

The Mozambican band Massukos was awarded the International Prize for Water, Creation and Arts at the Cannes Water Symposium on 25 June 2005.

Coming from the remote Niassa region, the members of the band are all passionate about development. Three band members work for Estamos, Mozambique's largest indigenous water, sanitation, HIV/AIDS and agriculture NGO, which is supported by WaterAid. Another works for Ulongo, a WaterAid partner organisation which is involved in development theatre and stages plays on sanitation and raising demand in poor communities for water and sanitation services.

The band is one of Mozambique's most popular groups and they use their high profile to raise awareness of the social issues dealt with by WaterAid and its partners such as poverty and a lack of water and sanitation.

Through their lyrics they encourage people to adopt good hygiene practices such as building wells, drinking clean water and washing hands before eating or after visiting latrines.

Massukos' first album, recorded in 2001, has had a great deal of success, culminating in them winning the media award for the "Best Mozambican Group". The album has just gone "gold", meaning it has sold over 30,000 CDs, an unusual feat in Mozambique.

The band regularly tours the country and had played a 10,000 seat venue in the capital Maputo just prior to setting out for Cannes. Their CDs are also now on sale in Spain and Portugal and the band is preparing to record their second album in the coming year.

Feliciano dos Santos receiving the award.

Credit: WaterAid / Sandrine Occelli

Estamos Director and Massukos singer Feliciano dos Santos was thrilled to receive the award as it will further raise the band's profile, and so spread their social messages wider.

"We use Massukos to get Estamos' messages across, for instance on the importance of drinking safe water" says Santos. "This award shows that people recognise our work, which reflects the importance of it. We believe our songs can change the world and change people's behaviour.

"For example, last year we sang about ecological sanitation and after then we had many enquiries at the office from people wanting more information on building ecological sanitation latrines. As we are now famous in Mozambique, people listen to what we have to say, which gives power to our organisation."