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            NEWS
 ________________ Gimo Mendes: ‘Creativity rocks!’

2007 was a landmark year for the Denmark-based music star of Mozambique

As it turned out, it was an outstanding flow of events. Gimo Mendes published a new album in Denmark which received remarkably positive reviews in the Danish press. Half a year later, he received an award for the first track on the album, ‘500 Anos’, which a jury had selected as the best ‘World Music Song of the Year’ in Denmark in 2007. And within just a few months he got 3,500 new friends on MySpace.com where the song can be downloaded in full length free of charge.

Furthermore, this was the year where Gimo Mendes founded an association and a network of artists, ‘Artists Take Action’, to support artists and people in need in his home country. He had discovered the power of creativity and how creativity had become not only a buzz-word, but – according to the Confederation of Danish Industries – a cornerstone in the economy of the Danish society. From events, people and thoughts expressed in Denmark, Gimo Mendes got the vision that what is needed concerning the economic development of Mozambique is not aid in the shape of a transfer of technology, material goods or money – but simply creativity, and not to mention: freedom to create.
Which is why he is now focused on initiating projects and events in Denmark and in Mozambique which will make creativity blossom.

2007 was also the year in which Gimo Mendes married his partner in life, Lotte, and they celebrated their border-crossing love with a great wedding party in their home town, Århus.

 ________________ 22 November 2007
The song by Gimo Mendes entitled ‘500 Anos’ [pronounced: ‘Kinyentos aNOS’] won the prize as the “Danish World Track 2007” at the yearly Danish World Awards in Copenhagen Jazzhouse.

Read more about ‘Danish World Awards’






Letters
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18 March 2008
• The cultural organisation Passo a Passo appoints Gimo Mendes as its 'Good Will Ambassador'

Read the letter...







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29 August 2007
• Gimo Mendes has been nominated as an ambassador in Denmark for the Mozambique Union of Journalists.

Read the letter...







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29 August 2007
• The Mozambique Union of Journalists offers to co-operate with the network Artists Take Action.

Read the letter...







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24 July 2007
• The Ministry of Culture and Education in Mozambique has issued a ‘Carta Abonatória’ (Letter of Warranty) for Gimo Mendes. A ‘letter of warranty’ in this case means ‘a personal and specific recommendation given by an authority’ to Gimo Mendes and his activities promoting culture and society of Mozambique.




Here is a translation of the letter:

República de Moçambique
Ministério da Educação e Cultura
Direcção Nacional da Cultura

Letter of Warranty

The cultural policy and strategies for their implementations stimulate the participation of the civil society in cultural life, creation of infrastructures for this purpose, aid, organisation and financing of cultural programmes as well as they make of the arts culture an instrument in the promotion of welfare and economic and social development.

The initiatives for fundraising and investments for the cultural area and others within the social field fit into this context.

In this way, and in order to contact the various interested national and international entities, the present aims at dignifying and granting Mr. Abdul Remane António Mendes (or simply Gimo Mendes),

Av. 24 de Julho n° 167-14° Andar - Tel. 21.490268 – Caixa Postal n° 34. drosario(a)mec.gov.mz MAPUTO

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