Various Artists
Various Artists
Soul of Angola
Lusafrica, 2001
The great electric guitar bands of Angola in the '60s and '70s have been a well kept secret for many years. During the final decade of that country's oppressive, pre-independence governance, much was happening on the musical front. Bands were creating a unique fusion of the guitar band sound blossoming in the Congo, next door, as well as sounds from Brazil and the Caribbean, and of course, local rhythms like semba and rebita. As in colonial Gambia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere, adapting traditional rhythms as pop music carried an implicit political message: it was an assertion of the value of long-devalued local culture. Boogieing tracks by groups like Os Kiezos, Os Bongos, and Jovens Do Prendo pulsated through the airwaves during the final years of the brutal and oppressive Salazar regime, which ended in 1975. Unfortunately, the civil war that followed Angola's independence created so much disorder that it effectively ended the local recording industry. As such, the country's young pop music was mostly moved abroad, and these classic recordings became unavailable for decades.
This fabulous 2-CD compilation takes you inside the energized, hopeful world of Luanda's early guitar bands. The sensual flavor of Congolese rumba is prevalent, as on Oscar Neves tracks like "Tia Sessa" and "Mundanda." But there are many other rhythms as well, the shuffling semba (ancestor/cousin of the Brazilian samba) of Artur Nunes "Mana," or the fast merengue-like feel on Paulo 9's "Genro Ciumento,"
There's lots of fresh, inventive guitar playing, notably on the tracks by Jovens Do Prendo, featuring Zé Keno, and also Os Kiezos, featuring Marito. A must for fans of early Afropop, this collection includes 40 tracks by 20 different acts. It fills in a gaping hole in the record, and makes a great listen even if you don't read the informative--although oddly translated--sleeve notes.
Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org
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