Kuduro: 10 essential tracks

As Buraka Som Sistema is rolling into town this thursday, The Montreal Mirror and Erin Macleod asked us to put some music together for their readers in order to present this music called Kuduro. We've been posting about kuduro for almost three years here on Masala, and The Month of Kuduro (Feb 2007, 1, 2, 3, 4) is still a good way to discover different aspects of this music. I also wrote an entry a year later that got some interesting answers (here and here).

In the last few months Kuduro exploded in France as the flavor of the day. Several compilations got released by major label and independant label, trying to get some of that money that young french from 2nd or 3rd immigration generation would like to spend on the new music trend. Greg Scruggs of Beat Diaspora has some interesting information and thoughts about the imagery and the marketing of Kuduro on his blog, including an advertisement game with Costuleta as a character.

This is 10 tracks that Jean-Phillipe and myself (Guillaume) think could be essential if you want to discover Kuduro in a pretty large acceptance. Most of these tracks are downloadable at a 320k bitrate but we tried to put links to website where you can actually buy the music. If you're one of the artist, or a music label who represents these artist, and want this songs to be taken down, we will gladly do it, just email us (emails in the right column).


Costuleta
1. Dança do Tchiriri - DJ Znobia / Costuleta / Magnesio (download)

THE biggest track of the genre. It has been an earworm success all around the planet for almost 3 years now. It’s pretty unclear who created it but apparently it’s DJ Znobia and it got release by Costuleta under his name. Buy here.
LA grosse track du genre. C'est un succès tout autour du globe depuis presque 3 ans déjà. On ne sait pas trop qui la crée mais apparement ce serait Dj Znobia qui l'aurait composé et elle fût ensuite diffusée sous le nom de Costuleta. Achetez-ici

2. Noite e Dia - Tira Makossa (download)

One of the best female MC of Kuduro, this track is also important as it’s been one of the first song to be largely spread around the blogosphere in 2006.
L'une des meilleures MC du Kuduro, cette chanson est aussi importante car elle fût l'une des premières à être largement diffusée dans la blogosphere en 2006.

Puto Prata
3. Puto Prata - Zuata Zuata (download)

Puto Prata is definitely Masala’s favorite kuduro artist. Incredible energy in the flow supported by always great production. Kid is a genius, he was using auto-tune back in 2005!
Puto Prata est clairement l'artiste kuduro préféré de Masala. Il a une incroyable énergie dans son flow qui est toujours soutenu par d'excellentes productions. Le kid est un génie, il utilisait déjà l'autotune en 2005!

Dog Murras
4. Dog Murras – Midexa (download)

One of the biggest music star in Angola and of course he covers a whole range of music, but his voice makes his kuduro tracks automatic bombs!Website.
Dog Murras est l'une des plus grosses stars de la musique en Angola et bien sûr il couvre un large spectre de genres, mais sa voix grave fait que tous ses Kuduros sont des bombes automatiques! Site web.

5. Helder Rei Do Kuduro - Festa de Paz (download)

Helder is a pop star. He’s very famous in Portugal, not appreciated by everyone but this kuduro track is a classic.
Helder est une pop star. Il est très connu au Portugal, mais n'est pas apprécié par tous le monde, mais cette track est un classique.

6. Buraka Som Sistema - Yah!
I'm not posting that song as the label(or maybe the management, or maybe the band?) seems to ask blogger to take down every single post with BSS original material. And Blogger/google doesn't ask you nicely to remove one file, it just erases the whole post. Some writers are leaving google because of that. You can find the song here though. Here's the video:
Je ne post pas cette chanson car le label (ou peut-être le management, ou peut-être le groupe?) semble demander à blogger de supprimer tous les post avec du matériel original de BSS. Et Blogger/google ne vous demande pas gentiment de retirer un morceau, non ils effacent le post au complet. Il y a d'ailleurs des bloggers qui s'en vont du service google à cause de cela. Vous pouvez tout de même trouver la chanson ici. Voici la video:

This track put Buraka Som Sistema on the map. It sets the tone of their personal and more western audience friendly approach of Kuduro with a tempo at 130 beat per minute(house’s standard) against Kuduro’s usual 140bpm. Go check out Sinden’s remix as well with big bassline. Buy here.
Cette chanson a mis Buraka Som Sistema sur la carte. Elle donne le ton de leur approche du Kuduro, plus personnelle et accessible aux oreilles occidentales, avec un tempo à 130 battements par minute (standard house) à la différence des 140 bpm habituellement utilisés dans le Kuduro. Allez écouter le remix de Sinden avec l'ajout d'une grosse ligne de basse. Achetez ici.



7. Frederic Galliano ft Pai Diesel – Até Quando (download)

France’s Galliano is the other very important figure in terms of popularization of Kuduro outside the portuguese speaking world. His Kuduro Sound System is the first Kuduro cd to be easily accessible to westerners. Buy here. Kuduro Sound System's myspace.
Le français Frédéric Galliano est l'autre figure importante quant à la popularisation du Kuduro en dehors du monde lusophone. Son album Kuduro Sound System fût le premier cd kuduro facilement accessible à l'achat pour les occidentaux.Achetez-ici. Myspace de Kuduro Sound System.



8. Izé - Tronku Di Mundo (download)

The Cap Verdien community has been making their own version of Kuduro bringing it closer to their carnaval music called Funana. It’s been mainly done in Paris, France, and it’s a very interesting appropriation process where this two lusophone communities now debate about what the real thing is. Buy here. Izé's myspace
La communauté Cap Verdienne a crée sa propre version du Kuduro en la rapprochant de sa musique de carnaval appellée Funana. Cela a été principalement fait à Paris et c'est un processus très intéressant d'appropriation qui a mené à une situation ou des membres des deux communautés débatent sur ce qui est vrai ou pas. Achetez-ici. Myspace de Izé

9. Familia Agre - Sai De Caminho (download)

This a pretty special track Guillaume got off of a kuduro compilation bought in France called Vozes Do Musseque. It bridges kuduro with more traditional chants. Buy here.
Ceci est une chanson particulière que Guillaume à trouver sur une compilation achetée en France qui s'appelle Vozes Do Musseque. Elle fait le pont entre Kuduro et chants plus traditionnels. Achetez ici.

10. Denon Squad - Oba (download)

Very fast and violent kuduro ! Based in Lisbon, Os Denon Squad is the the first band of Engrácia Silva (Pongo Love), featured on Buraka's "Wegue Wegue" as you can read here. Check her myspace.
Du Kuduro très violent et rapide! Basé à Lisbonne, Os Denon Squad est le premier groupe de Engrácia Silva (Pongo Love), qui a participé à la chanson "Wegue Wegue" de Buraka Som Sistema comme vous pouvez le lire ici. Visitez son myspace.



Post fait avec amour par Jean-Philippe/Le Jeune Premier et Guillaume/Khiasma :

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News from MTL

Homie Hovatron has a new song up for download.

Read that article about Globalistas by David Dacks in Exclaim! Magazine

Coincidence ou Zeitgeist? Mais il semble y avoir un article de même facture dans le dernier numéro du magazine français Tsugi ou le blog de Masala semble être référencé. Vous pouvez d'ailleurs lire ici, une entrevue très intéressante avec Fredéric Galliano sur le Kuduro. Hey anglos, read an interview with Fred. Galliano about Kuduro, translated by the good old Google Translator here.

Ghislain Poirier has a new and awesome video for the single of his latest EP:



Merci aux presque 2000 personnes hypés qui ont dansés sur mes beats à 4h du matin le samedi 28 février. 11000 personnes sont passées par le Métropolis de 22h à 5h du matin pendant la nuit blanche! Fou!

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A Statement About Kuduro: An Angolan Point of View

Earlier today, Toke posted that comment on my post "Kuduro - One Year Later". I thought it's important enough that we'll put it back as a post, and not let it getting buried in a few month old comment section. Toke is talking about many issues that I pointed out in my post. And I'm really glad to hear that Kuduro is still big in Luanda and that scene is slowly shaping up. Toke, I'm also wondering why Cape Verdian is a joke to Angolan? Why Helder is a thief and if your opinion on Frédéric Galliano's work is also the same on a band like Buraka Som Sistema (see latest video).

Many thanks to Toke for his input, please visit his blog

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To: masalacism@yahoo.ca
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:04:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [MASALA] Nouveau commentaire sur Kuduro - One Year Later (kuduro series).
Toke a ajouté un nouveau commentaire sur votre message blog "Kuduro - One Year Later (kuduro series)" :

Hello there,
my name is Toke, I live in Angola, Luanda, where I've been borned.

I've comed here through Likembe blog link.

I'm a adio producer, speaker, and dj everywhere through Luanda's nights.

http://kuduro.podomatic.com
(strait from cd-r street kuduro sellers to your hard drive, the angolan guetho musicians that have no commercial contract but that everybody is listening in the partys, taxis, bus, or in the street - kuduro rulles in luanda's caotic automobile trafic) - Site rebuilding.
I'm a big kuduro collector and I'ved a kuduro site that have been damaged by the server and that I'm rebuilding (slowly as my 256kbps connection allows).
http://kuduro.podomatic.com/

Being kuduro born in Luanda in the early 90's, and in the middle of the heaviest african civil war that will end only in 2002, it was very hard to produce and present kuduro records and live shows until six years ago.

The things are changing for best, now days, but what is really happening is that only a few of angolans kuduro entertainners have a professional record contract and some international projection.

By the other way, angolans still remains crazy by kuduro scene and dance, and all over Luanda city, cd-rs are popuping from the big guethos youth, whom are in a prolific way recording studio demos, or home demos, that sometimes become huge national hits.

But, as the majority of those local artists do not have any contract, they do not have structure to expand they work world wide.

Anyway, this artists only profits come from local live shows that unespected succes provides, and by hand to hand selling of cd-rs, once that they are ripped off by angolan radios that do not pay any incoming; by local djs who grew a international fame without any credits to the real authors of the beats; and by europeans and non europeans djs, as we all know, due to the lake of information and blabla... at the same time taking avantage and promoting guetho angolan kids. That's great! view the state of things.

Proudly and warrior angolan kuduro moovement do not considere Lisbon kuduro, as Helder Rei do kuduro, as other thing than pure robery.

We, angolans indulgently laught if someone speaks about cap verdian kuduro!

"Galliano kuduro" (lol) - it has the merit of promote the angolan style, with some deviances, and non kuduro beats, but it's a great job. It 's a great job for him too, not only for the angolan music that he use at a "no price".

There is only one kuduro beat and moovement, and it is Luanda's almost five millions habitants that mark that beat with an incredible fast and caotic car trafic, popping kuduro all over the town, all over the day with the naif smile of guetho childrens.

Today, angolan guetho kuduro moovement is strong in Luanda, and more and more youngs achieve a minimal record contract.

By the stylistic point of view, now days guetho kuduro it's going more mczided than the old kuduro, whom where more instrumental than spoked.

Mainstream angolan kuduro artist as Dog Murras, Sebém, Puto Prata and others have allready notest that word spoked inflection.

Thank you for your time and excuses for the lenght of the explanation in these non corrected almost english words.

Anyway, for me it's amazing and very interesting to read your opinions and reflections about this style of music from my homeland!

All the best to you,
hope everything's going right.
;)
Toke
Luanda-Angola
fairylife@gmail.com


+ De Kuduro Sur Masala

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