Kuduro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kuduro | |
| Stylistic origins | |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins |
early 00s, ANG
|
| Typical instruments | |
| Mainstream popularity | moderate mid-late 00s |
Kuduro (or Kuduru) is a type of music born in Angola and immediately exported to Lisbon in Portugal,.[1] It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable.
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[edit] Origins
The roots of Kuduro can be traced to the late 80's when producers in Luanda, Angola started mixing African percussion samples with simple Calypso and Soca rythms to create a style of music then known as "Batida". European and American electronic music had begun appearing at the largest open-air market in all of Africa, Roque Santeiro market, which attracted Angolan musicians and inspired them to incorporate their own musical styles.[2] An Angolan MC, Sebem, began toasting over the this and is thus credited with starting the genre. [3]
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. As for the males, they pop-lock, breakdance and also move sensual. The kuduro dancing is similar to Dancehall dancing of Jamaica. It is mostly influenced by Zouk, Soca, and Rara music genres. It also combines Western house and techno with traditional Angolan Kilapanga and Semba music[4] As Vivian Host points out in her article, despite the common assumption that "world music" from non-Western countries holds no commonalities with Western modern music, Angolan kuduro does contain "elements in common with punk, deep tribal house, and even Daft Punk."[5]It is thus the case that cultural boundaries and limitations within the musical spectrum are constantly shifting and being redefined. And though Angolan Kuduro reflects an understanding and, further, an interpretation of Western musical forms, the world music category that it fits under tends to reject the idea of Western musical imperialism.[5] The larger idea here is that advancements in technology and communications and the thrust of music through an electronic medium have made transcending cultural and sonic musical structures possible. According to Blentwell Podcasts, Kuduro is a "mixture of House, Hip Hop, and Ragga elements,"[6] which illustrates how this is at once an Angolan-local and global music. Indeed, this "musical cross-pollination"[5], as Vivian Host calls it, represents a local appropriation of global musical forms, such that the blending of different musics creates the music of a "new world."
The Angolan musician Tony Amado is said to have helped create the genre, upon meeting U.S. based Ragga DJs.[citation needed]
[edit] Lisbon Kuduro scene
Kuduro is very popular across the former Portuguese overseas provinces in Africa, as well as in the suburbs of Lisbon, Portugal (namely Amadora and Queluz), due to the large number of Angolan immigrants. In the Lisbon variety (or Progressive Kuduro), which mixes African Music with House and Techno music, Buraka Som Sistema is currently the most popular kuduro band and already presented their sound across Europe and appeared in several music magazines, after their appearance with their hit "Yah!" ("Yeah!"). Buraka Som Sistema takes its name from Buraca, a Lisbon suburb in the municipality of Amadora.[1] M.I.A. has supported kuduro music, working on the song "Sound of Kuduro" with the band in Angola. "It initially came from kids not having anything to make music on other than cellphones, using samples they'd get from their PCs and mobiles' sound buttons," M.I.A. said of kuduro. "It's a rave-y, beat oriented sound. Now that it's growing, they've got proper PCs to make music on." [7]
Helder - Rei do Kuduro("Kuduro king"), the most famous in the original Angolan genre, is also based in Lisbon.
[edit] Kuduro DJs
Some other known names in Kuduro are: DJ Manya,DJ Garito from Huíla Province, DJ SL, DJ Davids, Helder - Rei do Kuduro, Dog Murras, Tony Amado, DJ Nike, DJ João Reis,Dj iET, DJ Beleza, DJ Joca Moreno, DJ Malvado, DJ Amorim, DJ Paulo Jorge, DJ Baby T, Se Bem, Puto Prata, Noite e Dia, Fofandó, Normal_Nada, DJ Tecas, Agre-G, Nakobeta, Puto Portugues, and DJ Znobia. French producer and DJ Frederic Galliano travelled to Angola to make an album with many of the key local producers, titled 'Frederic Galliano presents Kuduro Sound System'.
[edit] Updates
Kuduro has several different styles, including Do Milindro, Ti Nogueira and others. Do Milindro was made popular by a song from Dj Agre-G, one of the better known djs in the angolan Kuduro scene. Kuduro's appeal is broadenning due to an improved quality of the music mixing, father reachin lyrics and due to national media exposure in Angola with shows like "Bounce" (Angola's version of So you think you can dance). Many consider Puto Lilas and Bruno M to be the best kuduro practitioners at present time.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Miguel Judas. VISÃO nº 752 3 Ago. 2007
- ^ http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/49990
- ^ ""Bottoms Up"". Fact Magazine. http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/49990. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ The Afrofunk Music Forum: Kuduro: Techno from Angola to the World
- ^ a b c Host, Vivian (and contributors). "The New World Music." XLR8R 109 (Aug 2007): 64-73.
- ^ Blentwell.com. Kiasma. Masolicism. 17 Apr. 2008 <http://www.blentwell.com/tags.php/kuduro>.
- ^ "M.I.A. Picks Best Global Sound". Rolling Stone. May 2008.
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