Lisbon-based singer is the flame that is keeping Kuduro music from Angola burning, but in the most unique ways. Pongo’s music is a fusion of Kuduro and electronic music, the bold singer uses her passion and talent to give a home to one of the most popular genres.
The Kuduro music is the most popular music genres from countries that were once colonized by the Portuguese, the music is symbolized by energy. The genre is characterized by heavy, pulsating instrumentals and vigorous dancing but with a deep cultural sense that makes it unique to the African country.
In Angola, the music fuses African rhythms with other forms of urban music from around the world, the likes of reggae, a taste of funk, dancehall and more, in recent years, there has also been traces of the now popular Afrobeats sounds and others shared across the continent. Kuduro in Angola can be traced back to the 80s when DJs, beatmakers and producers were attempting to create unique urban sounds experimenting a lot with different sounds especially electronic music. The genre as it were, gained popularity in a short span of time and is now a measure for most, if not every pop artist from the country.
Pongo is one such artist who has chosen to take this route but with that extra kick. The singer with roots in Luanda Angola released ‘Tambulaya’ one of her most popular tracks, and was based on a story of two people on the dance floor who are meant for each other but do not know it yet, and was inspired by how her aunt and uncle met on the dance floor at a time when Angola was in turmoil, and how that later translated to a life together. The song was Pongo’s way of introducing her music and musical heritages to the world and so she did it perfectly and with command; the song was widely accepted by many electronic music lovers both in Europe, Africa and beyond.
The singer who mostly performs in Portuguese recently released a more solemn but equally evocative single ‘Kuzola’, Pongo continues her impressive narrations backed by great videos in a capturing the world and experiences in an inspiring artistic delivery. The single is a tale of ‘wounded’ love, a tale of a woman in a strained relationship, who is abandoned by her unfaithful husband. The story is a contradicting tale of what inspired ‘Tambulaya’. This new release is a picture of pain and betrayal while ‘Tambulaya’ was created around struggle, betrayal, survival and overcoming all odds with the little joys of life.
Pongo’s music is a representation of the wholesome of humanity and in her own gifted way she impressively evokes a torrent of reactions from the listener by touching the familiar with regards to human relations; joy and sadness.
The singer puts across her message in admirable style, sort of a trance that would have you fall in love with her flair but remain aware to the world around you.
Check out ‘Tambulaya’ off her upcoming album Baia here:
|Afroway @amosmabinda