‘To cantabile’ might as well become a new verb in the dictionary of anyone who has watched Cantabile perform, it is the only expression fit to describe, in all its glory, what this group does.

Cantabile’s visit to Mozambique was yet another move towards inter-cultural exchange between the UK and Mozambique. It turned out to be more than that, it was fun and it was mind opening.

They were a tremendously original and dynamic act to watch. At the 3 events in which they performed in Maputo, the audiences were ‘blown away’ by their incredible voices, uniqueness and professionalism on stage.

The quartet is composed of three tenors and one baritone who beautifully combine melody with comedy. The audiences, from young children and adults to Members of Parliament, were filled with awe at Cantabile’s playfulness with songs, singing them as if a broken record, and even singing them backwards! The classics – Bossa Nova, The Beatles, the Mozambican National Anthem – were all perfect choices for this incredible quartet whose command of melody did all music a great justice.

Some of the members of the audience at the concert had this to say about Cantabile:

‘I wasn’t sure of what to expect but I was impressed, it was different to what we usually see here and they are really talented and good at what they do.’

‘At the same time hilarious and arty.’

The Mozambican Parliament with the support of the British High Commission organized a workshop in which Cantabile taught our MP’s how to sing the song Proud by Heather Small. The workshop included music, comedy and magic tricks. The outcome was, perhaps by a trick of magic, a harmonized Parliament with a new talent – singing!

At the end of the workshop with the Parliament, a message from the UK’s parliamentary choir was read out to their Mozambican counterparts, and we hope that in due course closer ties between the two parliaments might be established, through the medium of song!

And needless to say, Mozambicans’ opinions about acapella were forever changed, or should we say… Cantabiled!