Kizomba

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For the oil platform named after the dance, see Kizomba deepwater project.

Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Sung generally in Portuguese, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual. Although it was created in Angola it is often considered Portuguese due to the language sung in and it's popularity throughout Portugal.

Kizomba was developed in Angola late 1989 to early 1990's.[1] It is a fusion of Semba (the predecessor of samba) with the Zouk music styles from the French Caribbean Islands[2] with influences from other Lusophone countries. It is also performed in other lusophone African countries and Portugal. It is known for having a slow, insistent, somewhat harsh, yet sensuous rhythm; the result of electronic percussion. It is ideally danced accompanied by a partner, very smoothly and slowly, though not too tightly. A rather large degree of flexibility in the knees is required, owing to the frequent requirement that dancers bob up and down.

The influence of Angolan kizomba is felt in most Portuguese-speaking African countries, but also Portugal (mostly in Lisbon and surrounding suburbs such as Amadora or Almada), where communities of immigrants have established clubs centered on the genre in a renewed kizomba style. Kizomba is now also quite popular among white people that come to these clubs in growing numbers.

In Angola most clubs are based in Luanda. Famous Angolan kizomba musicians include Don Kikas, Calo Pascoal and Irmãos Verdades, among many others, but Bonga is probably the best known Angolan artist, having helped popularize the style both in Angola and Portugal during the 1970s and 1980s.

The São Tomean kizomba is very similar to the Angolan, Juka is the most notable among the Sãotomeans, but it is also one of the most notable performers in the genre.

The "Afro Caribbean Mega Mix" is a CD with a mixture of music from different countries. The Nha África - Paixão e Ritmo (mixed Portuguese and Portuguese Creole for My Africa, Passion and Rhythm) compilation album, launched in Portugal in 2005, is a successful collection of Angolan and Cape Verdean romantic songs. Other successful former release is Lusodance, Mussulo, Kizomba de Angola and Kizomba Dança comigo are also great choices as compilation albums.

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