KIZOMBA
Kizomba is a music & dance.
It is dirived from the traditional Angolan word, literally meaning "party" in Kumbundu tribal language of the Bantu clan.
Kizomba originated in the 1980's evolving from influence of zouk music.
To with specific roots in Guadeloupe, the french carribean island, and their leading band "Kassav Zouk".
Kizomba dance is an evolution of the traditional dance Semba.
Unlike Semba, Kizomba music follows a slower BPM with more a romantic rythm.
Typically, Kizomba songs are in Portuguese.
In the past, Kizomba songs were usually sung in Kumbundu and other national languages in Angola.
Now, every Palop country has developed its own distinct Kizomba music flavour & identity.
Since the 50's, Angolans people used to dance Semba. They interacted their steps into modern resulting in a beautiful and fluent hybrid dance.
Which has become today's Kizomba which is combination of side to side,
360 degree rotation and travelling.
In the 1990's Kizomba grew rapidly in popularity, consequently receiving wider recognition and a sharp increase in participants.
KUDURO AND AFRO HOUSE
Kuduro means, "Hard Ass". It established in Angola in the late 1980's.
Tony Amado had an idea after seeing the movie "Kickboxer" from Jean Claude Van Damme in 1989. From the beginning, when it appeared, the music was known as the name "Batida" (beats). In the 90's, we used to dance
kuduro as Jean Claude Van Damme did in the movie.
Kuduro (Music Genre)
You can see a video of Kuduro below
It's a creation made in the musseques. It's a up tempo guetto sound with hard batidas. It is a mix of electronic beats with Angolan traditional beats.
It is a similar to singing rap music.
However, Kuduro is not singing rap music.
Kuduro (Dance Genre)
It's not a partner dance is rather single dance or dance'groups.
Early one, in 90's, the dance steps were limited to the movements
done by Jean Claude Van Damme in the movie "Kickboxer".
Later on, the Angolans Created appropriate steps associated with their
culture.
While dancing Kuduro, the focus is on the "legs" with "hilarious", "crazy"
hand and body movements.
This is regular to see roda (circle) with someone dancing in the middle.
You can see below few artists of the first generation:
1) Tony Amado 2)Sebem 3)Dog Murras
You can see below few artists of the second generation:
1)Dj Znobia 2)Dj Killamu 3)Puto Prata
Afro House
Afro House is a music and dance genre that is mostly practiced in Angola
and South Africa. The music emerged in first in South Africa in the early 90's.
However, South Africa had not yet associated Afro House music with special dancing steps as Angolans did.
70% moves of Afro House come from Kuduro.
South African were focus more on their "Kwaito" dance and music.
Nowadays, the sounds of Afro House are very predominant in South Africa.
Afro House music came out in Angola in the early 2000's.
The music was not successful yet due to the success of Kuduro music and dance.
The music became popular after 2005 when the angolans dancers came back
from South Africa where they learned from the culture and participated to
the kwaito dance competitions.
From these experiences, they started to perform and teach the footsteps that
they learned from there.
Differences between Afro House and Kuduro
Afro House music is not rapped (as in Kuduro) and is generally a song on
moderated tempo.
However, in Kuduro, Angolans do not "sing", they "speak". it's rapped!
Afro House has few soft melodics motifs. Kuduro has hard batida (beats)
and generally one main melodic motif from the beginningof the song until
the end.
Musically speaking, Kuduro can easily be written in 2/4 mesure (bar).
Which is always 4/4 mesure (bar) in Afro House.
Afro House Dance Genre
You can see below a video of Afro House
The South Africans are not focus deeply into Afro House dance as they do in Angola. The Kwaito dance is the first priority.
Angolan Afro House dance steps come from Kwaito footsteps, African tribal
dance movements and mostly "Dombolo" movements from Congo RDC.
Due to the cultural influences of the former "Kingdom of Kongo" whose province (Mbanza congo) is still located in Angola.
I gave you a piece of the puzzle about the informations that i got on the journey of these angolan dances.
If you have any further details about these topics, you can still let me know and email me.
Otherwise, i will add what you gave me as piece of informations in that section.
