Unquestionably, Africa Negra has been the most significant and sincere representative of São Tomé and Príncipean music for the last forty years.
The group, which their fans have come to lovingly refer to as "mama djumba," is highly well-known in the lusophone African countries and throughout its global diaspora, including Europe, North and South America. They are known for their unique brand of blissfully mellowed São Tomé rumba or soukous, with blissful highlife overtones.
Although they were formed in 1974, their first recordings date back to 1981, when they started touring Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Portugal. At the same time, their music was being released on LPs by the renowned Lisbon label Iefe Discos, which are now highly sought-after on the modern music scene.
Since a few years ago, the group has steadied their lineup, allowing them to perform more frequently both domestically and internationally. Some of their older instruments, which somehow still function, are being used, along with vintage guitar effects processors that guarantee the original sounds from the 1980s songs still come through in their endearing performance.
The band has five members (voce, two guitars, drums, and bass); João Seria (voce) and Albertino (bass) are the only members from the original lineup. However, you also need to take into consideration Leonildo Barros, the influential guitarist who helped define the band's sound and is currently residing in Portugal..

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