Kizomba
Encyclopedia
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance
and music
created in Angola
. Derived directly from Zouk
, 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.
late 1989 to early 1990s. It is a fusion of Semba
(the predecessor of samba) with the Zouk
music styles from the French Caribbean Islands. It is also performed in other lusophone
African countries and in Europe
. 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.
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. 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 exact origins of tango—both the dance and the word itself—are lost in myth and an unrecorded history. This dance is mostly borrowed from Argetine Tango. The generally accepted theory is that in the mid-1800s, African slaves were brought to Argentina and began to influence the local culture. The word "tango" may be straightforwardly African in origin, meaning "closed place" or "reserved ground." Or it may derive from Portuguese (and from the Latin verb tanguere, to touch) and was picked up by Africans on the slave ships. Whatever its origin, the word "tango" acquired the standard meaning of the place where African slaves and free blacks gathered to dance.
In Angola most clubs are based in Luanda
. Famous Angolan kizomba musicians include Neide Van-Dúnem
, 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.
Kizomba Dance:
In Angola in the 50's the expression "Kizombadas' referred to a party.There was no association of the word to a Dance genre or a musical genre.But the dance known as "Semba","Rebita", "Kabetula", "Maringa", already existed in the 50's and 60's.
Other dances coming from Europe like Tango, practiced by the Portuguese colonials. The "Plena" from Puerto Rico and Merengue are thought to be brought by the Cuban influence in Angola during the war.
The style of Kizomba is now emphasizes a very smooth way of dancing with influences of Tango steps, but one of the main differences is that the lower body, the hip, does forward/backwards and circle movements.People dance on the tempo, as well as playing on the off beat and only sometimes using syncopation steps.
In the modern Semba dance, it is easy to observe how so many of the steps have been influenced by Cuban dance and perhaps vice versa, as you can find high similarities in both genres.
Various individuals who feel involved with the Kizomba culture have been seriously promoting it in other countries, such as Belgium and surrounding nations, where an independent Kizombalove academy has been created by José N'dongala.
KIZOMBA de RODA:- A new way of dancing Kizomba first Showcased, by Christian Jean-Francois of The Latin Quarter, in London UK in September 2011
Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person, a caller (or "Canto" in Portuguese). Many moves will have hand signals to compliment the calls; these are useful in noisy venues where spoken calls might not be easily heard. Many moves involve the swapping of partners.
, 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.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
created in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. Derived directly from Zouk
Zouk
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
, sung generally in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, 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.
Origin
Kizomba was developed in AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
late 1989 to early 1990s. It is a fusion of Semba
Semba
Semba is a traditional type of music from the Southern-African country of Angola. Semba comes from the singular Masemba, meaning "a touch of the bellies", a move that characterizes the Semba dance.-Characteristics:...
(the predecessor of samba) with the Zouk
Zouk
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
music styles from the French Caribbean Islands. It is also performed in other lusophone
Lusophone
A Lusophone is someone who speaks the Portuguese language, either as a native, as an additional language, or as a learner. As an adjective, it means "Portuguese-speaking"...
African countries and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. 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.
Cultural Influences
The influence of Angolan kizomba is felt in most Portuguese-speaking African countries, but also Portugal (especially in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and surrounding suburbs such as Amadora
Amadora
Amadora is a city and a municipality in Portugal, in the northwest of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The city and municipality population is 175,872 in eleven freguesias . With an area of 23.77 km², it is the most densely populated municipality of Portugal...
or Almada
Almada
Almada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of 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. The São Tomean
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
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 exact origins of tango—both the dance and the word itself—are lost in myth and an unrecorded history. This dance is mostly borrowed from Argetine Tango. The generally accepted theory is that in the mid-1800s, African slaves were brought to Argentina and began to influence the local culture. The word "tango" may be straightforwardly African in origin, meaning "closed place" or "reserved ground." Or it may derive from Portuguese (and from the Latin verb tanguere, to touch) and was picked up by Africans on the slave ships. Whatever its origin, the word "tango" acquired the standard meaning of the place where African slaves and free blacks gathered to dance.
In Angola most clubs are based in Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
. Famous Angolan kizomba musicians include Neide Van-Dúnem
Neide Van-Dúnem
Neide Núria de Sousa Van-Dúnem Vieira , also known as Neide, is a popular Angolan contemporary singer, songwriter, and film/television actress. Born and raised in...
, Don Kikas
Don Kikas
Don Kikas, born Emílio Camilo de Carvalho, is an Angolan singer from the city of Sumbe in the southern Angolan province of Cuanza Sul.-Early life :...
, Calo Pascoal and Irmãos Verdades, among many others, but Bonga
Bonga (musician)
Bonga Kwenda , better known as Bonga, is a folk and semba singer and songwriter from Angola. Bonga was born in 1943 in the province of Bengo, and left Angola at age 23 to become an athlete, becoming the Portuguese record holder for the 400 metres...
is probably the best known Angolan artist, having helped popularize the style both in Angola and Portugal during the 1970s and 1980s.
Kizomba Dance:
In Angola in the 50's the expression "Kizombadas' referred to a party.There was no association of the word to a Dance genre or a musical genre.But the dance known as "Semba","Rebita", "Kabetula", "Maringa", already existed in the 50's and 60's.
Other dances coming from Europe like Tango, practiced by the Portuguese colonials. The "Plena" from Puerto Rico and Merengue are thought to be brought by the Cuban influence in Angola during the war.
The style of Kizomba is now emphasizes a very smooth way of dancing with influences of Tango steps, but one of the main differences is that the lower body, the hip, does forward/backwards and circle movements.People dance on the tempo, as well as playing on the off beat and only sometimes using syncopation steps.
In the modern Semba dance, it is easy to observe how so many of the steps have been influenced by Cuban dance and perhaps vice versa, as you can find high similarities in both genres.
Popularity
Countries where Kizomba is most popular include Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Portugal, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, Brazil and the territory of Macau.Various individuals who feel involved with the Kizomba culture have been seriously promoting it in other countries, such as Belgium and surrounding nations, where an independent Kizombalove academy has been created by José N'dongala.
Kizomba In The UK
Kizomba has since 2010 had a surge in popularity in the UK. Promoters previously involved in Salsa have started incorporating Kizomba in their dance activities and promotions. The contemporary nature of the music has led people from widely varying cultures to adopt Kizomba as their own. Kizomba Addiction was created to promote the dance to non-portuguese people in the UK and was founded by Syed KizombaAddiction to spread and share Kizomba dancing.KIZOMBA de RODA:- A new way of dancing Kizomba first Showcased, by Christian Jean-Francois of The Latin Quarter, in London UK in September 2011
Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person, a caller (or "Canto" in Portuguese). Many moves will have hand signals to compliment the calls; these are useful in noisy venues where spoken calls might not be easily heard. Many moves involve the swapping of partners.
Commercial Releases
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 albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, 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.