Column: Kuduro hits the continent

Far away from Bloomington in a country named Angola, Kuduro music is playing.

People are dancing the night away to some of the freshest beats on the African continent. If you think the songs you listen to while dancing at the bars are intense, you haven’t heard Kuduro music.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of Kuduro, that needs to change ASAP. It is an amazing genre whose name literally means “stiff bottom” in Portuguese, which is used in Kimbundu language. This name comes from the provocative booty-shaking dance moves present in a Kuduro music video that often leads to a tight behind.

Once you start listening to these kinds of songs, believe me, you will not be able to remain sitting. The beat begins to take over your body and dancing becomes compulsory.

 From these strong dancing urges come moves you didn’t even know you were capable of. You will become twice the dancer you thought you were and pick up some Portuguese along the way.

It’s only fitting that the roots of the genre came in the 1980s. At this time, musicians in Angola’s capital city of Luanda began to mix beats, or “batida,” that sounded very much like hip-hop infused with electronic, with soca, rumba and even some punk thrown in every now and again.

During the two decades of its existence, it has adapted to fit the needs of the people and has transformed into a movement that expresses a
way of life.

Some artists like Os Lambas use their music to make political statements, while others like Cabo Snoop merely seek to make people dance.

In this way, Kuduro resembles many Western genres. It has become kind of a catch-all for nearly anything danceable and produced in Angola. It is what you want it to be and is always changing.

Since its humble beginnings in Luanda, Kuduro has also spread to a variety of other Lusophone countries and has become pretty popular in Lisbon. Bands like Buraka Som Sistema have helped spread the sounds of Kuduro all over the world.

YouTube also presents Kuduro artists an entire world to share their “batida” with.
Within Angola, new artists gain popularity by getting minibus drivers to play their music and increase their airplay. Then, Angolans decide for themselves what is good and bad Kuduro.

Now, it’s your turn. For your listening pleasure, I made a list of my five favorite Kuduro songs, but this is just the
beginning.

A world of Kuduro awaits.
 
1. Batida’s “Alegria”
Batida is a band that started as a Portuguese radio show featuring music from Angola and other Lusophone countries. After doing their radio show for a while, they started making their own Kuduro, eventually releasing an album called Dance Mwangole.
This video, “Alegria,” features my favorite of their songs. “Alegria” means “joy,” and the video captures an epic celebration in Luanda, the capital of Angola. The video is trippy, smart, fun and edgy, and I can’t get enough.

2. Os Lambas’ “Sobe”
From wall climbing to other moves that you’ve never seen before but wish you had, the dancing in this video is sick. Os Lambas has been one of the biggest Kuduro groups in Angola for a few years now, and in this video, they do not disappoint. They use their video to showcase the everyday neighborhoods of the under-represented Angolans.

3. Cabo Snoop’s “Windeck”
This video is over-the-top in all the right ways. The vibrant colors, choreographed dances and sassy attitude make this song a hit for Angolan audiences and beyond.

4. Game Walla’s “Kassumuna”
Dancing in the street representing Luanda, Game Walla consistently tests the boundaries and adapts the genre of Kuduro to suit his needs as an artist.

5. Buraka Som Sistema’s “Yah!”
This is the biggest Kuduro band and its classic hit that spread Kuduro to the masses. It only makes sense to include probably the most well-known song of the genre.