The “father” of the “boys by the fire” has died

Ruy Alberto Vieira Diaz Rodrigues Mingas was born on May 12, 1939 and in his youth excelled in athletics, particularly in the high jump and 11-meter hurdles, as well as in music.

As a Benfica athlete, in July 1960 he broke the national high jump record (1.90 m). Coming from a family of musicians (heavily influenced by his uncle Liceu Vieira Dias), he composed iconic songs from the Angolan repertoire such as “Cantiga por Luciana”, “Poema da Farra”, “Makezu”, “Birin Birin”, “Muadiakimi” , “Monagambe”, “Adeus à Hora da Partida” and the iconic “Meninos do Huambo”. An active member of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, the party in power since the country’s independence in 1975), Rui Mingas served as deputy and minister of sports, as well as Angola’s ambassador to Portugal. He is the father of four children, including model Naima.

REACTIONS

Presidency

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Ruy Mingas “seems to have been wherever Angola asserted itself as a young nation, in confrontation with the Portuguese regime until 1974, but not in conflict with Portugal.”

Paulo de Carvalho

“Rui was a man who worked on different levels: in music, in sports, he fought for the independence of his country and contributed to the education of Angola. All this is of great value.”

Ministry

The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the role of Rui Mingas “in the bonds of friendship between Portugal and Angola” and in the “projection of language, culture and lusophonia”.