When did you start DJing – and what and/or who were your early influences? My passion for music started in Angola, as my uncle always used to collect old-school music and on weekends he would play his collections. Growing up on this routine I started to appreciate the little details and vibes of each song. By the time I moved to Portugal, where I lived … Continue reading SPOTLIGHT X DJ MIRO KIKOLA
A throwback video of Pires & Josy dancing semba in Luanda, Angola. Pires makes it all look so effortless and we know it’s not that simple with Josy gliding around so elegantly. Check out the video below. Song: Carlos Burity, Tona Caxi. Continue reading Pires & Josy dancing semba in Angola
Calabeto & Puto Português Collaborate on ‘Cunhada, another release from Team de Sonho Vol lll project BY LS Republicano. Check out the video below. Continue reading Calabeto & Puto Português Collaborate on ‘Cunhada’
Erica Nelumba & Paulo Flores have collaborated on a new track called Novos Tempos and we’re big fans of it. Check the vocals below. Continue reading Erica Nelumba & Paulo Flores – Novos Tempos
How did you get into dancing? I’ve been interested in dance since an early age but somehow, I’ve always put regular sports engagements like swimming, tennis or martial arts first. It wasn’t until University when I finally pursued dance. Interestingly enough, I don’t think I would be the same dancer if I hadn’t waited 🙂 What projects are you currently working on? With Kizomba.si, Barbara … Continue reading SPOTLIGHT X MATEJ BAJŽELJ
“Maravilha” means “wonder” in Portuguese and one can certainly make the case that this band is arguably the 8th wonder of the semba world. During the first part of the Angolan civil war (1975-1992), music production in-country was virtually defunct. The main record labels simply had no means to survive due to the lack of government subsidies. At that time, only a handful of musicians … Continue reading BANDA MARAVILHA (aka The Semba Ambassadors)
One cannot expect somebody who’s never been to Angola – or knows nothing about its troubled past – to fully grasp how the simple act of dancing, singing and socializing has always served as collective catharsis for its people. As Achille Mbembe, highly respected Cameroonian philosopher and political theorist puts it: “Music has the capacity to marry soul and matter. Indeed, in Africa, music has … Continue reading 10 WAYS TO HONOUR THE KIZOMBA CULTURE
This is something to expect at Kizomba na Rua where some of the best dancers in Angola come to show off their dancing skills and some simply come to connect, enjoy the music & socialise. Here’s is a clip of Alberto Celmo dancing with Telma André dancing. Continue reading Alberto Celmo dancing with Telma André at Kizomba na Rua
Dilson Rosario organised an amazing event in Cha de Kaxinde in Luanda which featured some great dancing from some of the well respected elders, here is a short clip of the Grande Entrance from these seasoned dancers. Dilson organises other events and programmes, both for Live TV and for live audiences, follow him in Facebook to keep updated and if you are ever in Luanda, … Continue reading Semba Dos Kotas
Social media, especially Facebook, has enabled many kizomba instructors and dancers to be widely known around the globe. Oftentimes, we get so consumed by the information overload fed by the astutely designed algorithms of social media software that we get the false impression that we’ve seen everything and that we know everyone. As a consequence, it’s not surprising that folks tend to take the word … Continue reading THE UNDERDOG WHO STOLE THE SHOW
