Let me introduce Leonardo, the Mozambican Bob Dylan. Whether it's at a holiday party, a Saturday afternoon or a late night gathering, Leonardo's songs can be heard drifting over the pleasant sounds of the barracas. These barracas are a series of small restaurant/bars where locals of all shapes and sizes meet to share drinks, stories and much laughter. They really are the real heart and soul of Maputo and the perfect venue for Leonardo's passionate folk music. For all of you who know my good friend Andrew Neville, this is his kindred spirit in Mozambique...someone who has a repetoire of nearly 1000 songs and will sing them to any audience.

What is even more impressive about Leonardo is that, despite the fact that he is blind and his guitar is literally falling apart (notice the sizable hole near the top), he continues to sing without reservation nearly every night in the barraca. His friends shared a story about how the other week Leonardo was singing for a crowd of people and a small rat climbed out of the body of his guitar and scurried away into the street. Now THAT would have made a good picture!! Many of Leonardo's songs are relics of the colonial times here in Mozambique and are a unique blend of Portuguese love songs and "fado" (which is the blues). Hopefully, I can learn some of these songs from Leonardo during my time here...but I still need to find a guitar!!!