muntu

Progenitor of the amazing Sawablues, Muntu Valdo’s music is rooted in the blues, mixing African traditions with striking modernity and technical mastery.

Muntu Valdo belongs to the Sawa people who populate the length of Cameroon’s coastline along the Gulf of Guinea. His father is from the small village of Dibombari, his mother from the Malimba Islands out in the Atlantic Ocean, famous for their giant oysters.  Muntu then, is a Sawa. Blessed by the legendary «Miengu» (mermaids) who are known to protect those who worship them, his mesmerising bluesy music is steeped in the oceans, mangroves, waterfalls and rivers that dominate the region.

First discovered alongside some of the great names of world music including Ali Farka Touré, Manu Dibango, Lokua Kanza, Eko Roosevelt. Muntu’s debut album “Gods & Devils” was met with rave reviews in France, as well as in Cameroon and throughout Africa. It was described by NME as “rapturous record that shudders with joy and passion”.

In 2008, Muntu moved to London. Over the recent years he has toured the UK’s most prestigious venues supporting the likes of multi-award-winning jazz bass player singer extraordinaire Richard Bona, multi-award-winning British jazz star Dennis Rollins, and collaborating in a 30 dates tour with Grammy award winning South African legends Lady Smith Black Mambazo. His second Album “The One & The Many” released by WMG on Warner Jazz received critical acclaims. Muntu Valdo is now firmly established on the live scene as a solo artist. He just successfully completed a 3 weeks UK Tour supporting Ladysmith Black Mambazo and is preparing a new Album due to be released by the end of 2026.

Muntu has toured or performed in the Congo, Cameroon, Mexico City, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Bahrain, Senegal, Barbados, USA, Tbilisi in Georgia and The Netherlands. Muntu has performed at WOMAD UK, (Charlton Park + Bristol); WOMAD Cáceres + Las Palmas in Spain; WOMAD Abu Dhabi + WOMAD Singapore. Muntu Valdo was one of the main curators of the African Stage at the London 2012 BT River of Music, bringing together musicians from across Central and West Africa for a live performance. The concert was a huge success and saw musicians from 12 different countries performing for the very first time in the UK, including Annie-Flore Batchiellilys from Gabon, Mounira Mitchala from Chad, Lulendo from Angola, Achimo Said from Comoros Islands, Corry Denguemo from Central African Republic and Amen Viana from Togo. These musicians all proudly came together to perform alongside the Maria Fidelis Choir directed by Karen Gibson in a one-off extravaganza that resulted in the release of the single ‘5 circles of Humanity’ on Warner Jazz record label.

—

“Pure spiritual uplift” — Metro 

“Music to banish sadness” – The Times