Researching that last post has got me worked up, and I've been listening to Angolan music pretty much non-stop for the last few days. So, if you'll indulge my temporary obsession, I'd like to return to that formerly-war-torn but optimistic young country. Previously I mentioned a new musical style out of Angola called Kuduro. I don't have a lot of personal knowledge of it, but here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry:
One thing that's notable about Kuduro is its association with Angolan nationalism. In videos you'll often see Angolan flags flown, etc. This is an interesting contrast with other African countries, where the old nationalist and pan-African ideals have pretty much run their course, to be replaced by regional, ethnic and religious concerns. As to what sets Angola apart in this regard, I suspect that the end of the long-running civil war has given rise to a new sense of national purpose, and I suppose that the increase in the price of petroleum (Angola's main export) hasn't hurt either. But that's really just speculation on my part.Kuduro (or Kuduru) is a type of music born in Angola and immediately exported to Lisbon suburbs in Portugal, hence its two varieties Luandense and Lisboeta. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. . .
The Kuduru movement was created in the suburbs of Malange in Angola in the early 90's and now has become very popular music among young people.
The name itself is a word with a specific meaning to location in the Kimbundu language, which is native to the northern portion of Angola. It has a double meaning in that it also translates to "hard ass" or "stiff bottom" in Portuguese, which is the official language of Angola. Kuduro is also a type of dance where, typically (like Ragga, some forms of hiphop, and other afro-based musics) the female dancer protrudes her bottom and swings it sensuously to the rhythm of the hard-hitting Kuduro beat. It is mostly influenced by Zouk, Soca, and Rara (Haitian music genre) music genres. . .
Information about Kuduro is all over the Internet, especially if you know Portuguese, which I unfortunately don't. You certainly won't be able to find this stuff at your local Best Buy, and Sterns has nothing, but a search of Kizomba turned up quite a bit, including some of the more popular artists like Dog Murras, Heider Rei do Kudoro, and numerous compilations (unfortunately short on recording information, much less sound clips). One release that is in fairly wide circulation is Federico Galliano's Kuduro Sound System, which I can recommend based on what I've heard.
There are a couple of CDs out there by my favorite Kuduro artist, Puto Prata, but I've been unable to get hold of them. Through diligent searches of the blogosphere (notably Masala, which has tons of info on all kinds of other great dance music as well,) and various file-sharing services, I have turned up seven tracks, which I present to you in non-stop "megamix" style as follows:
1. Poperom Beat Fat RemixPuto Prata Megamix
2. So Tchilar
3. Zuata Zuata
4. Sao Voces
5. Aviao
6. Crianca Futuro Bate (with Fofando, Puto Saborosa & Noite e Dia)
7. Sai la Daqui
There is also a wealth of Kuduro videos out there, of which this is a prime example:
good stuff! it took me a while to warm up to kuduro, but these days i can't get enough of it! i had a few compilations i lost in the crash, but i think i might actually have those ones backed up...
ReplyDeleteit's interesting, though, the way this music just sprang up out of Angola, of all places... i've been very interested learning about what relationship (if any) it bears to similar laptop-based, ghetto dance musics of recent years: Rio baile funk, Detroit ghettotech, Baltimore club music, etc.
You should check out Os Lambas, they had a first album a year ago and a video all over Sout African MTV, they are absolutely great.
ReplyDeleteImpossible to find on CD though, I looked last year, there weren't even dodgy copies on the Angolan markets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0byTIy7KG0
Buraka Som Sistema is great as well, the Lisboan version of Kuduro from Amadora...
Hello Mr. John B., Milwaukee from Wisconsin, USA:
ReplyDeletegreatings from Angola!
Here's Toke fingers from Luanda, Angola.
I've founded your beautiful place, with that incredible familiar sound name (Likembe), and your two articles about angolan music.
First I would like to express my pride with the inclusion in your links of kuduro of http://kuduro.podomatic.com , my junior site where kuduro music is ready to be downloaded.
Infortunatly, all my files have recently been deleted or damnaged by the server, and I'm restarting my slowly local internet process of uploading to the ftp.
I'm learnig in the way, in berelly two years of internet blogin, being a junior in this activity.
With all respect I would like to share with your beautifull space some of my non commercial work, devoted purely to the world wide spread of angolan music from diferent ages:
#1
http://kuduro.podomatic.com
(strait from cd-r street kuduro sellers to your hard drive, the angolan guetho musicians that have no commercial contract but that everybody is listening in the partys, taxis, bus, or in the street - kuduro rulles in luanda's caotic automobile trafic) - Site rebuilding.
#2
http://milongoyakissange.podomatic.com/
(Tradicional folcloric music from Angola, sometimes mixed with urban modern angolan music that recovered traditional instruments)
#3
http://muximangola.blogspot.com/
(The first signs of angolan urban music from the 50's to early 70's. From an accustic beguin to the electrification of traditional angolan melodies. The anti colonail-fascist singers.)
#4
htt://trincheirafirme.podomatic.com/
(In 11 November 1975 angolan nation was borning under gun shots in the south, in the north, and through the quickly abandon of former collonies by portuguese administration and people joining the portuguese oillets revolution that ended a 48 years of fascist dictatorship at 25 of April 1974.
Beetwen 24 April 1974 and 11 November angolan musical prodution reflected the spirit of the time and was political prolific.
That's what we can ear in Trincheira Firme Podcast)
#5
http://radiosambilas.podomatic.com/
(angolan music from the last 33 years, celebrating angolan popular actual musical taste in all genres)
#6
http://menhamazumbi.blogspot.com/
(Mainly angolan music with some very rare angolan records. Other country musics included)
#7
http://vilamorena.blogspot.com/
(Mainly portughese and angolan anti fascist music)
#8
http://afrikya.podomatic.com/
http://afrikyamar.podomatic.com/
http://afrikyaabril.podomatic.com/
http://afrikya.blogspot.com/
(Afrikya is a sunday mornig weekly radio show broadcast from Luanda's radio LAC (Luanda Antena Comercial) - the first private radio station after independence - conductect by Maria Luísa, who host and direct Afrikya show from 30 years now, the last 16 years as LAC manager-director. Musical and political ways of Africa).
#9
http://animadao.podomatic.com/
(Angolan and non angolan music that can be danced at the discos, now days, every nights, by the almost five millions Luanda's habitants).
#10
http://neblinametal.podomatic,com/
http://neblinametal.blogspot.com/
(Neblina is the first and only angolan rock band to feature a commercial independent rock CD at 26 January 2006, called Innocence Falls In Decay).
#11
http://mptyhead.podomatic.com/
http://mptyhead.blogspot.com/
(M'pty Head is the second most proeminent angolan rock band with conceptual internet releases and extraordinary live shows).
#12
http://letmikesing.podomatic.com/
http://tessalonia.blogspot.com/
(Tessalonissenses is the name of the great and only angolan techno wird band that matters).
I've anothers podocast shows that are not in this subject: angolan music. (But please, try this two ones: http://timothyleary.podomatic.com/ and http://bluewave.podomatic.com/)
I would like to make an article presenting your acurate articles over angolan's music to angolan portughese readers. Hope your agreement.
By the way: that's right! You're right. Since 2002 angolan nation is in stable militar peace and angolans are proud that they achivied this goal by themselfs, after long years of foreigner interference. So, national prize, both for the nation and for the tribal origin, is the general feeling.
And 110 usd by the galon is not hurting. No, it isn't. It provides a 25% economic growing per year.
Thank you for your time and excuses for the lenght of the explanation in these non corrected almost english words.
All the best to you,
hope everything's going right.
;)
Toke
Luanda-Angola
fairylife@gmail.com
thank you for your nice posting
ReplyDeleteBathmate