🇦🇴 Bonga
Angola's most influential vocalists
About six years back, I stumbled upon Kuenda Bonga's voice in a sample, and it's stayed with me ever since.
Bonga is one of Angola's most influential vocalists post-independence. His music blends Angolan, Portuguese, and Brazilian influences, described as "Latin sentimentality with a touch of Gypsy and Flamenco". Bonga's husky voice and pro-independence anthems gained attention in the early '70s. Despite exile, split between Paris and Lisbon, exposure to Portuguese-speaking musicians, especially from Brazil, fueled his love for samba. After Angola's independence in 1979, Bonga returned home, joining the government-supported Semba Tropical orchestra.
Listen on your platform of choice here
The simple, repetitive chord pattern never feels either simple or repetitive. The varieties of rhythm introduced in the guitar, the beautifully modulated varieties of intensity in the vocal all keep the listener engaged and moved, even if - as in my case - you don’t know the language. Thanks for this introduction to an artist I will be seeking out for more exposure.
I couldn’t help but recall Neil Young’s Helpless, which has one less chord in its progression but also keeps you engaged with other aspects of variety and emotion.
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