“Tudo, tudo, tudo, tudo, tudo que e novo toca aqui, toca aqui, toca aqui, qui, qui, qui” are the first sounds listeners hear. Despite an emphasis on the recent, this phrase is not uttered with urgency - and if anything is missing, it is an air of authority. Yet both messages merit attention, even if trust must be placed blindly on this disembodied voice of anonymous populism. A split second decision must be made. Time is not an ally. Tension is building. Not ten seconds go by before the snare and kick drum begin. An ambient harmony and a cymbal arrive, when suddenly the beat stutters. Those who have stayed are exposed to, and begin moving their hips for, a mid-tempo kuduro. Not a single tear is shed for the prematurely departed. At present, the only concern revolves around enjoying this moment.
Were a government to issue this music a passport, its cover would most certainly be red and the spelling Portuguese. Its roots sprout forth from the fertile land of wine corks past, so the sounds can freely roam the European continent. If ancestry is the issue, though, one’s sights must be set much further. So much so that gazes wearily venture southward, without a chance to rest until they reach another continent. The destination is the West African country of Angola; a former colony of Portugal. This is the land where kuduro, tarraxinha, zouk, semba, batida, and kizomba began. With these sounds bands such as Jovens da Prenda and N’Goma Jazz carved a national pride. Commonly fusing aesthetics from the Greater Antilles with rock instrumentation, Angolans developed a sound all their own. With northward migration, Angolans’ music retains an element of communal binding and legacy preservation. The difference brought on by the passage of time is a move away from guitars and timbales and towards for computer monitors and synthesizers.
Lasting all of seven songs, and averaging 1:30 per track, DJ Bubas updates the status of this musical with “Mix Afro 2014.” What follows is a collection of largely kuduro tracks. First up is a song that features spoken vocals; a phenomenon appearing throughout. After two-minutes, the number fades out and a batida fades in. This manner of transitioning is the mix’s primary detriment. Momentum may not be sacrificed but fluidity is lacking throughout the first half. Alas, once the repetition of Os Detroia’s popular “No faz isso bella” - though not the whole entire chorus - is reached, the mix settles into a groove. Suspense is built and anticipation grows. Variety and range are never in shortage as Bubas effortlessly switches from kuduro to zouk to batida and back. A 4/4 bass may used in an effort to maintain consistency, but bass-play can still briefly be heard. A pleasant listen that, if nothing else, whets the appetite for this still evolving cuisine.
- John Noggle
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