Albino Mbie: BOMBYX Barrio Night

Join us for BOMBYX Barrio Night, a monthly tradition where we invite the neighborhood to discover something new.

Albino Mbie is a multi-award-winning guitarist, singer, and composer born in Maputo, Mozambique, a country in southern Africa known for its rich musical and cultural heritage. Fueled by the resourcefulness and determination that have always characterized Mozambicans, he built his first guitar at age 16 from a 5-liter oil can and scrap wood, using electrical cords for strings. Drawn to the sounds of neighborhood street musicians in Maputo, Albino began playing in a number of local bands, incorporating diverse musical elements into his songs.

Mbie was one of the first students to receive a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston through the African Scholars program. There, he fell in love with Jazz, folding that most American of art forms into his existing repertoire. Living in Boston, Albino felt the absence of his native Mozambican and African sensibilities in his music. With the help of his mentors, Richard Bona and Lionel Loueke, he began to bridge that gap, creating an Afro-Pop and Moz-Jazz sound which defies geography and easy classification.

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On BOMBYX Barrio Nights, we express our love for the neighborhood. Florence residents living in the 01062 zip code are invited to bring a guest for free (buy one ticket, get one free).