kizomba | en

Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Derived directly from Zouk music, 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 it being sung in Portuguese and its popularity throughout Portugal.

Kizomba was developed in Angola 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 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.
(It also should be noted that Kizomba has become synonymous with Zouk love or simply Zouk today.)

Cultural Influences
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 Portugal the word "kizomba" is used to call any zouk-derived type of music, even if it is not from Angola. 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.

Confusions between zouk and kizomba arose after many Cape Verdean emigrants arrived in France in the late 80's, having had contact with zouk and having mixed it with a traditional Cape Verde style the coladera, creating the Cabo love or cola-zouk; a derivative of zouk-love, very similar to kizomba and typically sung in Cape Verdean Creole. It is this rhythm that was confused with kizomba, and was heard in Portugal when Eduardo Paim arrived there and released his first record with kizomba music.

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 (Wikipedia)."

Famous Angolan kizomba singers include Bonga, André Mingas, Liceu Vieira Dias, Neide Van-Dúnem, Don Kikas, Calo Pascoal, Heavy C., Puto Portugues, Maya Cool, Matias Damasio, Rei Helder, and Irmãos Verdades.

Kizomba has been present in the US for several years, but has seen a pronounced uptick in popularity starting in 2012. Interest in kizomba is most prominent in larger urban areas. Hotspots include San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, DC, various cities in Texas and Florida, Chicago, and Atlanta. .