Matamba doesn’t have fans, he has sisters and brothers, collectively they are a movement and part of his culture
Prior to the recycling campaign, Matamba worked on an anti-bullying campaign to reduce the prevalence of bullying and to help youth explore other ways of interacting with one another and expressing themselves. Matamba recorded the song “Mas Fuerte Que Dolor” (Stronger than Pain), which he uses when he speaks to youth and school groups about his own experiences with bullying. Through his experiences and music, he easily connects with the kids in a meaningful way. At one point Matamba took his power back and became the bully but then realized he was no better than the boys who were bullying him and immediately stopped. As a black man in a predominantly Latino world, an anomaly in the community in which he lived and the endeavors he pursued, Matamba was often told what he could and could not do and what he could and could not be, which sparked the flame of rebellion in him and that we see reflected in his lyrics.
Matamba is proud of who he is and of his African heritage, roots, and culture. He works with and is often sought out by the leaders of the Afro-Bolivian community to speak, perform, and build with the youth. He is in search of ways to better promote and preserve Afro-Bolivian cultural contributions to Bolivian society and attempting to empower the broader Afro-Bolivian community to step out from the shadows and back into their proper place as equal members of society.
Matamba doesn’t have fans, he has sisters and brothers, collectively they are a movement and part of his culture. He is gracious and generous with the many people, parents and children alike, who approached us frequently over the course of our interview in a local coffee shop. Ever open with a ready smile and welcoming words, he never says no to those who seek out a picture or an autograph. He is a man of the people and he works for the people and is ready to take his work and his message to the next level through his music and his public outreach.
Matamba is an artist with a message; he is more than a man, he is a movement; he is the embodiment of the dreams he and his community have for all Afro-Bolivian youth, and he recognizes the responsibility his success places on him.
To learn more about Matamba and his music check out his social media links below:
Official Site: matamba.net
FB: matambaoficial
IG: matambaoficial
Twitter: matambamusic