From the Land of Queen Nzinga: Luso-African Music

Queen Nzinga of Angola

Continuing the journey around Africa’s musical regions, tonight comes the music of the Portuguese speaking countries of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe.   Fantastic stuff that reminds me of my short but very impressionable time in Angola nearly 20 years ago.

In those days there was not much for Angolans to make music about. The civil war seemed unending. Most of the population was being fed by the UN. Orphans and the crippled of war survived somehow on the sidewalks of Luanda. Inflation was rampant (about 2 million New Kwanzas for a beer!) and the shops looked like they’d been empty for decades.

But as is always the case in such places there is a small slice of society for whom life was very good. And for such people there were some amazing clubs and discos where the Latin-Afro tinged guitars trilled and sweat rolled down the handsome faces each weekend.

It was a sad time and I entered a deep professional and personal funk in Angola. The country was stunningly gorgeous but there was something rotten in the air.

But once upon a time there was a lively and sizzling music scene in Angola and the other countries where Portugal held on to its brief moment of accidental global domination.

Listen to this and read up on some of the artists in the scans I’ve included in the folders.

            Track Listing (disc one):

            01 Boas Festas (Luis Morais and Voz Do Cabo    Verde)

02 Estin (jose Carlos Schwarz)

03 Dissan Na M'bera (Super Mama Djombo)

04 Pamparid (Super Mama Djombo)

05 Bulimundo (Bulimondo)

06 Nha Guine (Ze Manel)

07 Grito De Bo FidJe (Mendes&Mendes)

08 Aninha (Africa Negra)

here

            Track Listing (disc two):

            01 O Pavo (Paulo Flores)

02 Sodade (Cesaria Evora)

03 Tchan De Pedra (Bana)

04 Mae Querida (Os Tubaroes)

05 Preto E Mi (Tito Paris)

06 Mulemba Xangola (Bonga)

07 Saudades De Luanda (Oz Keizos)

08 Kisua Ki Ngui Fuà (Arthur Nunes)

09 N'Ginda (Tony De Fumo)

10 N'Hoca (Tony Von)

here

            Track Listing (disc three):

            01 Eme N'Gongo Lami (Tanga)

02 N'Vula (Urbano De Castro)

03 Chofer De Praça (Luis Visconde)

04 Tsuketani (Kapa Dech)

05 Todos Os Sentidos (Tabnaka Diaz)

06 Paraiso Di Gumbe (Manecas Costa)

07 Criulinha (Voz De Cabo Verde)

08 Disgraciado (Rui Sangara)

here