Kuduro

Description

Kuduro is an energetic Angolan genre that fuses traditional rhythms with electronic dance music. Defined by its rapid beats, syncopated percussion, and commanding vocals, Kuduro is both a musical style and a dance movement symbolizing freedom, resistance, and celebration.

History

Kuduro emerged in the late 1980s in Luanda, Angola, when local producers began blending African drum patterns with techno and house influences from Europe. The genre grew in the aftermath of Angola’s civil war, becoming an outlet for youth expression in urban neighborhoods. Its name, meaning 'hard ass' or 'stiff bottom' in Portuguese, refers to the intense and physically demanding dance moves associated with it. Over time, Kuduro evolved from street parties into an international phenomenon, popularized by artists such as Buraka Som Sistema, who brought the sound to global audiences in the 2000s.