Lourdes Van-Dúnem facts for kids

Maria de Lourdes Pereira dos Santos Van-Dúnem (born April 29, 1935 – died January 4, 2006) was a famous singer from Angola. Most people knew her as Lourdes Van-Dúnem. She was born in Luanda, the capital city of Angola.

Lourdes became very popular in the 1960s with a music group called Ngola Ritmos. She recorded her first album, Monami, with this group. She traveled to many countries like Portugal, Algeria, and Brazil to perform. She also performed a lot in Angola. After her first album, she spent most of her singing career with another group called Jovens do Prenda.

Lourdes Van-Dúnem won several awards for her music. She was called "the Most Powerful of Angolan music" at a festival in South Africa in 1997. She also received an award from the National Radio of Angola for "The Best Female Voice of Angolan music" in 1997. She passed away in 2006 from typhoid fever. The President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, attended her funeral.

Early Life and Education

Lourdes Van-Dúnem was born in Luanda, Angola, on April 29, 1935. She went to primary school at the African National League. For secondary school, she studied at Colégio de Dona Castro e Silva and D. João II.

She started singing when she was still in school. Later, she worked as an announcer at a radio station called Voz de Angola. It is believed she learned to speak Kimbundu there, even though she had been singing in the language for years. In the 1960s, most singers in Angola were men. Lourdes was one of the few women who became well-known singers in clubs.

Her Music Career

Lourdes Van-Dúnem's music career began in 1960. She joined the "Ngola Ritmos" band. Other members included Liceu Vieira Dias and Belita Palma. These artists became very important in Angolan music. They also supported the anti-colonial movement MPLA.

With Ngola Ritmos, Lourdes recorded her first album, Monami. This album was very popular. During this time, she traveled around Angola and Portugal for her performances. In the 1970s, she joined the "Jovens do Prenda" band. With them, she performed in many countries. These included South Africa, Portugal, Brazil, Algeria, France, Spain, and Zimbabwe.

In the 1980s, Lourdes worked as the Secretary of State for Culture. This role allowed her to travel widely. In 1997, she released a new version of her work "Womanhood." It was part of a project called "New Africa / Portugal." In 1996, she recorded a disc called "SOWHY" in Paris. Later that year, on August 29, she recorded her "Womanhood" CD in Portugal.

Awards and Helping Others

Lourdes Van-Dúnem received many awards for her contributions to music. On March 29, 1991, she was honored as the "Female Voice oldest of Angola." This award was given at the Hotel Turismo. On June 31, 1993, she received an honorary degree. This was to celebrate her as one of the "pillars of Angolan music."

On January 24, 1996, Luanda city celebrated its 420th anniversary. Lourdes was given the "government diploma Luanda City" for her work. In 1996, she joined the "So Why" project. This project was with the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC). She worked with other famous African artists. They recorded an album with six singers and a documentary. They also released a book called Woza Africa. All the money from this project went to help people affected by war in Africa. Nelson Mandela wrote the introduction for the book. The campaign aimed to support civil war victims in 1997.

On September 3, 1997, she was named "the Most Powerful of the Angolan music." This happened at the "Sun City" festival in South Africa. On December 31, 1997, she received another award. The National Radio of Angola gave her a diploma for "The Best Female Voice in Angolan music."

Lourdes Van-Dúnem died on January 4, 2006, from typhoid fever. She is remembered for her amazing voice and her efforts to help others.

See also

In Spanish: Lourdes Van-Dúnem para niños