Kuduro from
around the globe:
"Bazzerk
- African Digital Dance"
The dancefloor movement that started off in Angola in the 80s has found homes in places as far apart as Brazil and France, but, wherever it lands, one thing that almost always happens is that the local artists and deejays start finding ways to add their own twist to the raw, energetic, Afro-techno sound known as Kuduro. Which makes African Digital Dance quite an interesting compilation: Kuduro in its original form - with the strong calpyso and soca rhythms and more vocals - plus Kuduro hybrids that are no less addictive than the sound from Angola, but with a slightly different flavour: instrumental, a bit more emphasis on Drum 'n' bass here, a tad more on Tribal House or Techno there. Long story short, a compilation on which anyone into electronic dance music will find something to like.
African Digital Dance was curated by Parisian producers Jess and Crabbe, who've been researching and promoting Kuduro genre for the last couple of years, and here they pull together tracks - "old" and new - from Angola, obviously, but also from Portugal, France and South America. Our favourites include O Babo by DJ Ketchup, the phenomenal Windek by Cabo Snoop (now almost a classic of the genre), Do Maiorão by Braulio Zp
and Mo Choro by DJ Patrick and featuring Black Power. There's also a delight tucked away almost as an afterthought towards the end of this twenty-seven-track double-album, the bonus track Instru Coupé Decalé by the Logobi music duo Zaza Twins, which sounds like the perfect blend of Afrohouse, Kuduro, Electro and Coupé Décalé (from which Logobi music is derived).
<a href="http://mentalgroove.bandcamp.com/track/zaza-twins-instru-coupe-decale-bonus" _mce_href="http://mentalgroove.bandcamp.com/track/zaza-twins-instru-coupe-decale-bonus">Zaza Twins - Instru Coupé decalé (Bonus) by Jess & Crabbe</a>
Have a listen to see which ones work for you the most, then pop over to Bandcamp, the Mental Groove shop or Boomkat.
<a href="http://mentalgroove.bandcamp.com/album/bazzerk-african-digital-dance" _mce_href="http://mentalgroove.bandcamp.com/album/bazzerk-african-digital-dance">BAZZERK - African Digital Dance by Jess & Crabbe</a>
While we're on the subject, two you may have missed but which you definitely must download are Generation Bass vs. Akwaaba, DJ Umb's 30-minute mix of the compilation Akwaaba Sem Transport
and, once you recover your breath, Obroni Start Shakin. They both absolutely free, so couldn't be easier on the wallet.