The Captivating Rhythms Of Angolan Music: Exploring Traditional Sounds

Angolan music has been shaped by the country's political history and wider musical trends, and in turn, it has influenced the music of Lusophone and Latin American countries. The country's rich musical tradition includes a variety of styles, such as kazukuta, semba, kizomba, and kuduro, with the capital city of Luanda being a melting pot of these diverse genres. Angolan music is deeply rooted in its unique instruments, like the marimba and kissanje, and its sounds range from traditional folk to electronic, pop, and rock. Despite its diverse and vibrant music scene, Angolan music is often associated primarily with the genre kuduro, which has gained international recognition.

Angolan music has influenced Lusophone countries and Latin America

Angolan music has been influenced by wider musical trends and the country's political history. In turn, it has influenced the music of other Lusophone countries and Latin America.

Angolan music played a key role in creating and reinforcing "angolanidade", the Angolan national identity. The capital, Luanda, is home to diverse musical styles, including kazukuta, semba, kizomba, and kuduro. Semba, in particular, is the predecessor to several music styles originating in Africa, such as samba, kizomba, and kuduro.

Barceló de Carvalho, popularly known as Bonga, is the most successful Angolan artist in popularizing semba music internationally. In the early 1980s, Angolan popular music was heavily influenced by Cuban music, with Cuban Rumba gaining popularity across southern Africa.

The diverse musical genres of Angola have also influenced other Lusophone countries. For instance, the marrabeta genre of Mozambique in the 1950s combined traditional African rhythms with newer sounds like Angolan pop and fado tunes from Portugal.

Additionally, the success of recording artists from PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African countries) who sing in Portuguese has increased international awareness of Portuguese as an African language. This includes countries like Brazil, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe, where Portuguese co-exists with Portuguese-based creoles.

Angolan music has also influenced Latin America, a region with a rich musical history shaped by Native American, African, and European influences. While the specific musical interactions between Angola and Latin America are not explicitly mentioned, the broader cultural and linguistic connections between these regions provide a context for musical exchange.

Overall, Angolan music has had a significant influence on Lusophone countries and Latin America, contributing to the diverse and dynamic musical landscape of these regions.

Luanda is home to a diverse range of styles, including kazukuta, semba, kizomba and kuduro

Angolan music has been shaped by wider musical trends and the country's political history, while also influencing the music of other Lusophone countries and Latin American countries. In turn, Angolan music has played a key role in creating and reinforcing a sense of national identity.

Luanda, the capital and largest city of Angola, is a hub of diverse musical styles. These include kazukuta, semba, kizomba, and kuduro. Just off the coast of Luanda, Ilha do Cabo is known for its accordion and harmonica-based style of music called rebita.

Semba is a traditional type of music and dance from Angola that predates the country's independence from Portugal in 1975. It is characterised by its roots in Massemba and the phrase "a touch of belly buttons", which describes one of the most recognisable and entertaining movements in the dance. Semba's lyrics often revolve around day-to-day life and social events, conveyed through witty rhetoric and a broad spectrum of emotions. This versatility has made semba a staple at various Angolan social gatherings, from funerals to parties.

Kizomba, which emerged in Angola in the late 1970s to early 1980s, is a social dance and music genre that evolved from semba. It is characterised by a slower, more romantic, and sensuous rhythm. Traditionally, kizomba was danced with family and friends in social settings but has now expanded to clubs and street festivals like Kizomba Na Rua in Luanda.

Kuduro, also known as kuduru, is an uptempo, energetic, and danceable music and dance style that originated in Luanda in the late 1980s. It blends various influences, including traditional carnival music, techno, and electronic dance music. Kuduro's development coincided with a period of civil unrest in Angola, providing a means of artistic expression and a way to cope with hardship for Angolans, especially those living in the slums.

Kazukuta is another form of music and dance primarily associated with Carnaval. While it shares roots with semba, it has its own distinct style and is an integral part of Angola's vibrant and diverse musical landscape, particularly in the capital city of Luanda.

Kuduro is a high-speed genre that has influenced pop and electronic music worldwide

Angolan music is called Kuduro, a high-speed genre that has influenced pop and electronic music worldwide. Kuduro, which translates to "hard ass", is characterized by its uptempo, energetic, and danceable beats. It combines traditional Angolan Kilapanga, Semba, and Soca with Western house and techno.

Kuduro originated in Luanda, Angola, in the late 1980s during a time of civil unrest in the country. It was created by mixing African percussion samples with zouk béton ("hard" zouk) and soca, resulting in a style of music known as Batida ("Beat"). The evolution of kuduro has been influenced by the technology available to its musicians and producers. Early kuduro compositions were created using all-in-one sequencer/sampler workstations brought back to Angola by youth who had spent time in Europe.

Kuduro has become popular worldwide, especially in Lisbon, Portugal, due to the large number of Angolan immigrants. It has also influenced pop and electronic music globally. For example, Don Omar's song "Danzar Kuduro" featuring Portuguese descendant Lucenzo has become a worldwide hit. Additionally, artists like M.I.A. and Diplo have incorporated kuduro elements into their music.

Kuduro's influence extends beyond music to include dance. The dance style associated with kuduro involves movements that emanate movement/stillness, incoordination, falling, pop & lock, and breakdancing. It is usually performed in the streets, with groups gathering in circles and taking turns to showcase their unique movements.

Kuduro is more than just a music genre; it has become a form of artistic expression for Angolans, especially those living in the slums, to claim their space in the city and criticize society. It has provided a means of coping with hardship and spreading positivity, reflecting the turbulent history of Angola.

Traditional Angolan instruments include the marimba, kissanje, chisanji and likembe

The marimba is a type of xylophone made from wood with different sizes of gourds attached, which produce a highly recognisable sound. It is played by two or three people using sticks similar to drumsticks. The marimba is also popular throughout Central America, with its popularity spreading from southern Mexico to Costa Rica.

The kissanje, or mbira, is one of the oldest instruments and is commonly carried during long trips due to its portable size. It is made by fixing metal blades in a plank of wood and is played using the thumbs.

The chisanji is another instrument that is found in several regions of Angola and is known by different names, including buetete, kalembe, or quimkelembe.

The likembe is also known as the kissanji and is played by the Makuma Mambo group from Quimbele, Uige Province, in the north of Angola.

The civil war in 1992 brought new rhythms to the country as people moved to urban centres

Angolan music has been shaped by both wider musical trends and the country's political history. The post-electoral civil war in 1992 brought many displaced people from rural areas to the biggest urban centres, particularly the capital city of Luanda. This movement of people brought new rhythms to the country.

During the civil war, recording artists relied on small studios and a parallel distribution channel based on piracy to reach audiences. This method helped many musicians to become well-known, including Tunjila Tuajokola (Malanje), Socorro (Uige), Kumby Ly Xia (Cuanza Sul Province), Baló Januário (Bengo Province), and Beto Bungo (Cabinda Province).

In the years leading up to the civil war, the Luanda rock music scene was thriving. One member of a top band at the time described the experience of being in a band as akin to being in a top football team, with supporters cheering them on wherever they went.

The music of Angola has been influenced by a variety of genres and styles, including waltzes, ballads, big band music, and folk music. Before the civil war, urban Angolan music from the 1970s reflected a populace in revolt, with rhythmic sounds that drew from local and imported rhythms such as semba, merengue, samba, and rumba.

One notable aspect of Angolan music is the influence of traditional rhythms and instruments. Liceu Vieira Dias, known as the 'father of modern Angolan music', and his group Ngola Ritmo, are credited for transposing Angola's percussion sound to the Western guitar idiom, capturing rhythms such as kabetula, kazukuta, rebita, massemba, kilapanga, tchianda, and kakoto.

Today, the most popular genre in Angola is kizomba, a partnered social dance that is gaining worldwide attention. It is characterised by intimate and sensual dance experiences and derives its rhythm and movement from an upbeat semba.

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