the reconstruction of both countries. Cultural similarities facilitated contact among intellectuals and artists, and concerts were held in Brazil to raise money for and publicize the cause of the insurgents. Afro-Brazilian singer Martinho da Vila was one of the key figures promoting closer relations between Brazilian blacks and Angolans from 1972 until after independence in 1975. The idea captivated the interest of others. In 1980, a group of 65 artists started the Kalunga Project, under the leadership of composer Chico Buarque de Holanda, promoting concerts in several cities of Angola.  
Robert Mugabe's victory in the presidential elections of Zimbabwe in March 1980 marked the decline of racial regimes in southern Africa and increased Western interest in the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. During that decade, international music stars participated in concerts and demonstrations in Europe and the United States to demand a 'Free South Africa', and media coverage brought such news to the Brazilian public.